New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 144: Welcome Back, Mego!
Mego action figures were the start of collecting, and comic book love, for many collectors from Generation X. With the soft goods outfits, removable boots, varied accessories and more, these figures have become harder to find but that doesn’t stop collectors from trying. But now Diamond Select Toys has the license to reproduce classic Mego action figures! The first three are out – Spider-Man, Captain America, and one never made in the classic Mego line: Wolverine! In addition to being nostalgic throw-backs, DST is also including upgraded outfits and alternate outfits, all expanding the Mego line while paying homage.
On this issue of Marvelicious Toys, Marjorie and Justin join long-time Mego lover Arnie to review these three figures. Joint hem to find out if these are faithful representations, and if the toys are just for older collectors or for everyone!
But while older collectors love the toys of their youth, younger fans prefer the simple pleasures — such as Hasbro’s Titan Hero Tech figures. On this issue the hosts review three of the Age of Ultron Titan Tech figures, as well as the two Entertainment Earth exclusive Titan Heroes: Hawkeye and Iron Legion!
With a preview of this year’s hottest San Diego Comic-Con exclusives and more, it’s all in this week’s Marvelicious Toys!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT144.MP3
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 143: Marvel’s X-Tinction Agenda
Arnie, Marjorie, and Justin are back with a jam-packed new episode of Marvelicious Toys!
On this show we tell you where you can find the latest Marvel Legends, including Daredevil, Spider-Woman, and Hulk! Plus we look forward to some new Hasbro figures on the horizon. Plus a look at several new online orders, including Hot Toys’ Vision, Iron Legion, and Iron Man Mk 45, and Sideshow Collectibles’ new Premium Format Spider-Man statue. With a look at the most exclusive Hulkbuster toy yet, and review of Marvel’s new Secret Wars action figure comic covers, it’s all in this jam-packed issue!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT143.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys 1/6 Scale Vision MMS
Well, I was born yesterday.
One of the biggest highlights of the record-breaking Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is the introduction of the new characters in the film! Originally planned to be the perfect “evolution” for Ultron, the Avengers was able to retrieve the android Vision and made him a valuable ally for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to stop Ultron from eradicating mankind!
Today, Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles have put up for pre-order the humanoid hero that many fans have been waiting for – the 1/6th scale Vision Collectible Figure!
The movie-accurate Vision Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on his image in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It features a newly developed head sculpt with detailed texture and Mind Stone, specially tailored costume and cape, Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, and a specially designed figure stand.
Your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection wouldn’t be complete without the addition of this powerful android!
Hot Toys – MMS296 – Avengers: Age of Ultron: 1/6th scale Vision Collectible Figure
~ Movie Masterpiece Series ~
The 1/6th scale Vision Collectible Figure specially features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron
– Newly developed head sculpt with movie-accurate facial features, detailed skin texture, and the Mind Stone
– Specially applied metallic red-violet skin tone to reflect Vision’s distinctive appearance
– Approximately 31.5 cm tall
– Body with over 30 points of articulations
– Eight (8) pieces of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of open palms
– One (1) pair of palms for holding Mjölnir
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
– One (1) teal colored full body suit with texture and red-violet colored highlights
– One (1) yellow colored cape with patterns and red-violet highlights
– One (1) pair of red-violet and gold colored gauntlets
– One (1) pair of red-violet and gold colored boots
Weapon:
– One (1) Mjölnir
Accessory:
– Specially-designed figure stand with Vision nameplate and the movie logo
Artists:
– Head Sculpted by Kojun
– Head Painted by JC. Hong
– Head Art Directed by JC. Hong
Release date: Q4, 2015 – Q1, 2016
So head to Sideshow Collectibles and get your Vision now!
News: New Images of Guardians of the Galaxy Hasbro Legends Leaked!
Marvelicious Toys has just come across new boxed images of the Entertainment Earth exclusive Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends set!
Featuring Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot (both in giant and potted versions), these comic-accurate likenesses appear to come loaded with accessories, including swappable heads for Gamora, interchangable hands for Drax, and much more as shown in the images below.
These sets are still up for pre-order now at Entertainment Earth.
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 142: Leapin’ Legends!
Tomorrow the Age of Ultron begins as the biggest Marvel movie of Phase II hits theaters! To celebrate, we bring you a special, bonus Marvelicious Toys show with plenty of Avengers assembled!
Hasbro’s newest Marvel Legends figures tie into Age of Ultron as the movie likenesses of Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man ship with comic-based Hellcat, Spider-Woman and Batroc. Get all six and you build the mad titan Thanos! Join Arnie, Justin, and Marjorie for reviews of all seven figures in this wave!
And also in this show, Marjorie & Arnie attended C2E2 in Chicago this weekend! From the vendors to artist’s alley to the autograph hall, they run down the experience, and recall a purchase that (Hulk)busted Arnie’s wallet!
With two new Hot Toys and an Age of Ultron S.H. Figuarts that’s even harder to assemble than the other Avengers, it’s all in this bonus Marvelicious Toys!
Plus follow @thearniec on Twitter as he attends the 11 movie AMC Marvel marathon! He’ll be tweeting the experience on Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT142.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Ultron Mark I MMS Figure
You’re all puppets, tangled in strings…strings.
The much anticipated Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron will soon hit theaters worldwide, Hot Toys is excited to continue the waves of highly detailed and movie accurate collectible figures from this super blockbuster. In addition to the return of Earth’s mightiest heroes in the sequel, the titular villain Ultron has been a widely discussed character among fans!
Today, Hot Toys and Sideshow have put up for pre-order the Artificial Intelligence that has gone rogue and threaten human existence in the latest movie – the 1/6th scale Ultron Mark I scale Collectible Figure!
The movie-accurate Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on the image of Ultron Mark I in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It features a newly developedasymmetrical body with complicated mechanical details and cable wires throughout different parts, LED light-up eyes, mouth, and chest reactor, a damaged Iron Legion as an accessory, and a specially designed figure stand!
Expand your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection with this menacing villain!
The 1/6th scale Ultron Mark I Collectible Figure features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Ultron Mark I in Avengers: Age of Ultron
– Movie-accurate sculpture with complicated mechanical details and cable wires throughout body
– Newly developed asymmetrical body with over 24 points of articulations
– Approximately 32.5 cm tall
– Metallic red, white, blue, and dark grey colored painting on armor with distressed effects
– LED light-up eyes, mouth and chest reactor (white light, battery operated)
– One (1) right palm with articulated fingers
Accessories:
– One (1) damaged Iron Legion
Head to SideshowCollectibles and order this metal menace now!
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 141: The Legends of Daredevil
In this issue there is a totally new Marvelicious Toys team-up! With Marjorie and Arnie crossing over to another series (Star Wars Action News) Justin joins forces with Geof to host this week’s episode of Marvelicious Toys!
In this episode the dynamic hosting duo look at the new Avengers: Age of Ultron figures coming from Ban Dai’s S.H. Figuarts line! Geof’s superpower is his focus on international toys and so he helps you figure out if these foreign figures are worth your dollar!
But then Marjorie and Arnie cameo to join Justin for a review that will make you crawl the walls–Hasbro’s Spider-Man wave of Marvel Legends! With Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Girl, Spider-Woman, and Anti-Venom, these figures are hitting stores now and we review them all! Plus in the wave is Daredevil–star of the new Netflix series!
With a look at the new toys hitting stores, a review of Spaghetti Webz accessories, and more, it’s all in this jam-packed Marvelicious Toys show!
Then join us next Wendesday for a bonus Avengers: Age of Ultron episode with even more Marvel Legends reviews!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT141.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys War Machine from Avengers: Age of Ultron
For Iron Man 3 a number of collectibles were made showing Iron Man’s pal War Machine in his more metallic suit, but in editing only the Iron Patriot was shown. Even Hot Toys released that version of the War Machine armor.
Do you think Don Cheadle looked at the gray War Machine armor made for Iron Man 3 and said, “Next time, baby!”? Well, that time is now!
Now, for Avengers: Age of Ultron the War Machine is back and he’s in his classic colors! But…there are some subtle differences between the suit designed for Iron Man 3 and the one shown on screen in Age of Ultron. So while you may have a Hot Toys figure really close to this one–unless you pre-order this new figure from Hot Toys you don’t have the Age of Ultron armor!
And to add to the mix, this figure is only being offered through a partnership between Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles as a Sideshow exclusive figure! (It’s about time we got one stateside after having to hunt for so many overseas variants). If it’s anything like the last exclusive armored Avenger offered by Sideshow, the Stealth Armor Iron Man, it is bound to sell out fast too!
Plus this is part of Hot Toys’ MMS Diecast Series which the collectible figures are made of diecast material, and realistically designed to look even more like the armor as it appears in the film. You heard our glowing review of Iron Patriot on Marvelicious Toys, now it’s time for War Machine to get that same love.
The movie-accurate War Machine Mark II Collectible Figure is crafted with great details and based on the image of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine Mark II in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It features a highly detailed head sculpt, metallic black and dark silver colored armor with decals, LED light-up functions, rotatable machine gun, and a specially designed Avengers: Age of Ultron figure stand.
Gear yourself up for this super exciting film and expand your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection with this diecast collectible figure as “War Machine rocks”.
Hot Toys – MMS290D10 – Avengers: Age of Ultron 1/6th scale War Machine Mark II Collectible Figure Features:
– Body with Die Cast metal parts
– Authentic and detailed likeness as War Machine Mark II in Avengers: Age of Ultron
– Helmeted head sculpt with authentic likeness of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes
– Interchangeable helmeted head with LED light-up function (white light, battery operated)
– Metallic black and dark silver colored armor with white decals
– Approximately 31 cm tall
– Over 30 points of articulations
– Contains diecast material
– LED-lighted eyes and Arc Reactor on chest (white light, battery operated)
– Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of palms with movable fingers and light-up repulsors (white light, battery operated)
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of repulsor palms
– One (1) saluting right palm
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Weapon:
– One (1) rotatable machine gun at the back
Accessory:
– Specially-designed figure stand with War Machine nameplate and the movie logo
Check out our pics and get over to Sideshow and order yours now!
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 140: Agents of CHiPs!
In the original Avengers films the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson, loomed large. Yet none of those characters received any attention in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line–until now! With the upcoming sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron Toys R Us is now selling the exclusive Legends 3-pack with those characters! Join the Agents of Marvelicious, Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie, to find out if this set should be on your Most Wanted list!
But Age of Ultron is not confined to the toy aisle–it’s coming everywhere! Tie-ins are hitting hard in cereals, snack foods, and breakfast waffles. The biggest tie-in is Doritos with their numerous chip bags – one flavor for each Avenger, creating a conundrum for food packaging collectors. The hosts review and evaluate if these are collectibles they’re hungry for.
With a Spider-Man plushie that brings a special package, the largest scale Hot Toys figure to date, and more, it’s all in this issue of Marvelicious Toys!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT140.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys 20-Inch Iron Man Mark 43 – From Avengers: Age of Ultron
Tony Stark is working on something big…
After many years of creating the best 1/6th scale, 12-inch, figures based on Marvel Movies, now Hot Toys delivers their first figure in a larger 1/4 scale–Iron Man Mk XLIII. Standing 20-inches tall, this figure has over 40 points of articulation, interchangeable heads with LED light-up function, LEG-lit eyes, chest, and back, plus LED shine-through on the sides of his chest, forearms, and the backs of his legs.
It also has removable armor pieces, interchangeable forearm rocket armor, and 3 pairs of changeable hands.
With the hype over Avengers: Age of Ultron this piece may truly fly–out of stock, so pre-order yours now at Sideshow Collectibles!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys EXCLUSIVE Iron Man Mark VII – Stealth Edition
Years ago at San Diego Comic-Con Hot Toys showed the Iron Man — Stealth Armor. Years passed with no word on if this armor was continued or cancelled. Hot Toys delved into their House Party Protocol of armors but still no word on the more comic-based blue and black Stealth armor. Until now. Now it’s a MOVIE PROMO EDITION collectible figure, only be available exclusively in selected markets during upcoming promotion events period in different countries… but you can order it now at Sideshow Collectibles!
The Mark VII (Stealth Mode Version) Collectible Figure is highly detailed featuring multiple layers and various shades of metallic and matte black color with digital camouflage design, translucent black chest armor and articulated flaps on back of legs, Stark Industries decals at various parts of the armor, LED light-up functions, interchangeable armor parts, and a specially designed dynamic figure stand.
This stylish stealth mode version Mark VII collectible figure will be a great addition to your Iron Man collection!
The 1/6th scale Mark VII (Stealth Mode Version) Collectible Figure features:
- – Authentic and detailed likeness of Mark VII in stealth mode
- – Specially applied multiple layers and shades of metallic and matte black-colored painting with digital camouflage design on armor
- – Translucent black removable chest armor and articulated flaps on back of legs
- – Approximately 30 cm tall
- – Over 30 points of articulations
- – LED-lighted eyes and circle-shaped Arc Reactor on chest (white light, battery operated)
- – Stark Industries decals on various parts of the armor
- – One (1) pair of interchangeable forearm rockets
- – One (1) pair of interchangeable wrist guards for posing with repulsor firing palms
- – Three (3) pairs of interchangeable palms including:
- – One (1) pair with movable fingers and light-up repulsors (white light, battery operated)
- – One (1) pair of fists
- – One (1) pair of repulsor firing palms with light-up function (white light, battery operated)
- – Two (2) sets of interchangeable shoulder armors (normal & missile styles)
- – Articulations on waist armor which allow flexible movement
- – Fully deployable air flaps on the back of the armor
Accessory:
- – Specially designed dynamic figure stand with Mark VII nameplate and movie logo
The Avengers Movie Promo Series Iron Man sold out in ONE NIGHT, so don’t wait–don’t let the weekend pass without getting your order in today! (And if it’s waitlisted, get on that waitslist–the sooner you sign up the better your chances!)
Good Luck!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys’ Hawkeye from Avengers: Age of Ultron
Take aim on Hot Toys’ newest 1/6 Scale Avengers MMS figure — Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye.
The release of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is coming closer and closer! Fans are all pumped to see the Earth’s mightiest heroes assembling again to save the world from the menacing artificial intelligence Ultron! Following last week’s pre-order of Black Widow, Hot Toys is thrilled to present the widely-anticipated 1/6th scale Hawkeye Collectible Figure!
The only previous Hawkeye Hot Toys figure was made for the original Avengers film, and while it took a while to sell out that figure now sells for over $400 on eBay! This is a chance for fans of the Hawk to finally get this Jeremy Renner likeness at a reasonable price!
The movie-accurate Hawkeye Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on the image of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in Avengers: Age of Ultron, featuring a newly developed head sculpt, new outfit, improved articulations for action poses, freshly designed bow and arrows, and a specially designed figure stand.
Expand your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection with this extraordinary marksman!
Hot Toys – MMS289 – Avengers: Age of Ultron 1/6th scale Hawkeye Collectible Figure Features:
- – Authentic and detailed likeness of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in Avengers: Age of Ultron
- – Approximately 30 cm tall
- – Body with over 30 points of articulations
- – Movie-accurate facial features with detailed wrinkles and skin texture
- – Six (6) pieces of interchangeable palms with finger tabs on left palms including:
- – One (1) pair of relaxed palms
- – One (1) right palm for holding bow
- – Three (3) left palms of different styles for holding arrow
- – Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
- – One (1) dark burgundy long sleeves top
- – One (1) black and dark burgundy long jacket with straps and guards
- – One (1) pair of navy blue pants with belts on waist and straps on thighs
- – One (1) pair of black boots
Weapons:
- – One (1) fully-opened purple and black colored bow
- – One (1) folded purple and black colored bow
- – One (1) speed loader with nine (9) arrows
- – Thirteen (13) individual arrows and nine (9) interchangeable arrowheads of different styles
Accessories:
- – One (1) quiver
- – One (1) pair of arrow speed loaders
- – One (1) pair of sunglasses
- – Specially-designed figure stand with Hawkeye nameplate and the movie logo
Artists:
- – Head Sculpted by So Young, Lee
- – Head Painted by JC. Hong
- – Head Art Directed by JC. Hong
This figure is due to ship later this year, so place your order now at Sideshow Collectibles!
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 139: Gone Groot’n
In two months Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters–but the toys are here! New figures are hitting stores harder than a Hulkbuster hits a Hulk! Marvel Legends, Funko POP! vinyls and Dorbs, and more are at retail–and in collectors’ hands! On this Marvelicious Toys hosts Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie run down their latest finds and tell you the best places to shop for the newest figures!
It’s not just the stores getting hit, online sales are burning up! Hot Toys has released their Hawkeye and Black Widow figures from Age of Ultron, plus a series of Cosbabies from the new film! Plus Iron Man III armors still showing up, and more!
With a report from the Indiana Comic-Con, a Rocket Raccoon sighting at the Toy Man Toy Show, and a slip of the tongue you won’t soon forget, it’s all in this episode of Marvelicious Toys!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT139.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Black Widow from Avengers – Age Of Ultron
Pre-orders are up now for the next Hot Toys 1/6 Scale Avenger figure from Age of Ultron — Black Widow
The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in the film featuring a newly painted head sculpt with short curly brownish-red real fabric hair, newly tailored costume with leather-like trims and blue highlights, detailed new weapons and accessories.
Don’t forget to add the lethal female agent to your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection!
The 1/6th scale Black Widow Collectible Figure features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in Avengers: Age of Ultron
– Newly painted head sculpt with movie-accurate facial expression and make-up
– Short curly brownish-red real fabric hair implantation
– Body with over 28 points of articulations
– Approximately 28 cm tall
– Eight (8) pieces of interchangeable gloved palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of palms for holding pistols
– One (1) pair of fists for holding batons
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume :
– One-piece black colored jumpsuit with leather-like trims and blue highlights
– One (1) pair of red-colored wrist guards with Widow’s Bite bracelets
– One (1) black belt with Black Widow’s emblem
– One (1) gun holster on thigh
– One (1) pair of black colored platform boots with buckles
Weapons:
– Two (2) blasters
– Two (2) batons with real-like electric effect
– One (1) pistol
– One (1) dagger
Accessories:
– One (1) pair of real-like electric shock effect accessories
– One (1) pair of baton handles
– Specially-designed figure stand with Black Widow nameplate and the movie logo
Place your pre-order now at Sideshow Collectibles–the only authorized Hot Toys reseller in the US!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Exclusive Black Widow Premium Format — Limited to 200 Pieces!
Last year Sideshow released their Black Widow Premium Format…and now they’re doing a variant in the white outfit! LIMITED TO 200 PIECES!
The black-clad version of this statue was one of last year’s best, so hurry if you want the white one
–it ships NOW!
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 138: Thunder, Thunder, Thunder God — HO!
As Age of Ultron draws near the toys are hitting stores hard! Toys R Us and Targets are full of new Marvel Legends…but are they worth buying? On this issue of Marvelicious Toys the Allfather wave of Marvel Legends are reviewed. Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Machine Man, Iron Fist, and Sentry–and get them all to build Odin or King Thor! Watch for reviews of all nine characters!
Also on this week’s show we look at the new releases from Hot Toys, both the Hulk and the Hulkbuster! This new Iron Man armor is the biggest Hot Toys figure in the Marvel line–and the most expensive. Is it worth it? Listen to find out!
With a review of the only Jubilee statue ever made–the Kotobukiya Bishoujo statue, a look at the new Age of Ultron trailer, a discussion of the 11-movie Avengers marathon and more! It’s all in this giant-sized Marvelicious Toys!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT138.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys MMS Hulkbuster Iron Man from Avengers: Age of Ultron
This is the Iron Man armor you have been waiting for! Ever since the first official appearance of the massive anti-Hulk Iron Man suit, Hulkbuster, in Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, fans worldwide have been filled with excitement! Its fight against Hulk is an unforgettable moment from the clip and pushes the popularity of the huge machine to a new level even before the movie launch!
Today, Hot Toys, through Sideshow Collectibles, has put up for pre-order the collectible figure that many fans and collectors have been longing for – the spectacular 1/6th scale Hulkbuster Collectible Figure!
The movie-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Hulkbuster in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This colossal figure stands approximately 55 cm (21 inches) tall, featuring a Mark XLIII bust inside the Hulkbuster with LED light-up eyes and arc reactor on chest. The metallic red, gold and silver armor with weathering effect, and over 16 LED light-up areas located in the eyes, chest, repulsor palms, back, and legs.
Partnered with Hot Toys Avengers: Age of Ultron Incredible Hulk figure you have a display that would be the centerpiece of any collection–and make friends drool with envy!
You’ll need to make room for this gigantic machine in your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection!
The 1/6th scale Hulkbuster Collectible Figure features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Hulkbuster in Avengers: Age of Ultron
– Approximately 55 cm tall (approximately 21 inches)
– Special features on armor:
– Chest can be opened to reveal the Mark XLIII bust with LED light-up eyes and arc reactor on chest
– Metallic red, gold and silver colored painting on armor with weathering effect
– Over 30 points of articulation
– Over 16 LED light-up areas located in the eyes, arc reactor on chest, repulsor palms, back, and legs (white light, battery operated)
– Shoulder armors can be opened
– Interchangeable neck armor for when displaying the Mark XLIII bust
– One (1) pair of removable forearm armors
– One (1) pair of hands with movable fingers and light-up repulsors (white light, battery operated)
Release date: Q1 – Q2, 2016
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Hulk MMS from Avengers: Age of Ultron
He’s always angry!
In the upcoming eagerly-awaited Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Earth is in danger again as the evil artificial intelligence Ultron is set on wiping out all life on the planet, and it is up to the Earth’s mightiest heroes to stop the terrible fate from happening.
Now Hot Toys has announced the new Avengers: Age of Ultron 1/6th scale Hulk Collectible Figure! The movie-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron featuring a newly developed screaming head sculpt with rolling eyeballs, and a specially painted muscular body.
And there are two ordering options for this figure! You can order the Hulk Sixth Scale Figure now for $274.99 or get the Hulk Deluxe Sixth Scale Figure Set for $374.99!
The 1/6th scale Hulk Collectible Figure (available in both sets) features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron with separate rolling eyeballs. This head shows his screaming look with detailed wrinkles and skin texture
– Approximately 42 cm tall
– Giant green-skinned muscular body featuring detailed skin texture and tendons, with over 20 points of articulations, built-in joints in neck and arms which allow flexible movement
– Two (2) pairs of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms with movable fingers
– One (1) pair of forceful fists
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
– One (1) pair of grey shorts with texture
But if you order the Hulk Deluxe Marvel Sixth Scale Figure Set you get the figure and accessories detailed above, and
– A second newly developed angry head with separate rolling eyeballs (this one is snarling, not screaming)
– An interchangable non-articulated Hulk smash pose giant green-skinned muscular upper body (to show off Hulk with no articulation poitns visible)
Don’t miss out on adding the incredible Hulk to your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection! Order now at Sideshow Collectibles site!
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 136: Toy Fair 2015 Part 2 – Funko, Diamond, and More!
Toy Fair International is where all the toymakers preview all the new figures, toys, and collectibles that will be released throughout the year. For Marvel collectors there was some great news in regards to announcements based on Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and, of course, the comics themselves!
On this first part of their Toy Fair coverage, Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie look at all the new 2015 sets coming from LEGO. With a macro-scale Ant-Man set, an Avengers Tower, and a Helicarrier that has to be seen to be believed, it’s all on this episode!
Then Hasbro may be having their biggest year yet–in terms of figure sizes! The Marvel Brand Team announced half a dozen waves of new Legends figures, plus tons of store exclusives as well! With news on the Infinite Series line and much more, it’s in this show. Plus listen for an exclusive review with Hasbro’s Dwight Stall about SDCC exclusives and more!
Then come back next week for a bonus episode and even more Marvelicious Toy Fair news!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT137.MP3
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 136: Toy Fair 2015 Part 1 – Hasbro and LEGO
Toy Fair International is where all the toymakers preview all the new figures, toys, and collectibles that will be released throughout the year. For Marvel collectors there was some great news in regards to announcements based on Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and, of course, the comics themselves!
On this first part of their Toy Fair coverage, Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie look at all the new 2015 sets coming from LEGO. With a macro-scale Ant-Man set, an Avengers Tower, and a Helicarrier that has to be seen to be believed, it’s all on this episode!
Then Hasbro may be having their biggest year yet–in terms of figure sizes! The Marvel Brand Team announced half a dozen waves of new Legends figures, plus tons of store exclusives as well! With news on the Infinite Series line and much more, it’s in this show. Plus listen for an exclusive review with Hasbro’s Dwight Stall about SDCC exclusives and more!
Then come back next week for a bonus episode and even more Marvelicious Toy Fair news!
Arnie C: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT136.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Avengers: Age of Ultron – Ultron Prime 1/6 Scale MMS Figure
There are no strings on me.
Up for pre-order now is the next sixth-scale Avengers: Age of Ultron figure from Hot Toys — Ultron Prime
Since the first official release of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, the film’s titular villain Ultron’s menacing appearance and memorable speech has grabbed many fans’ attention and left wondering how the Earth’s mightiest heroes can stand up against this highly dangerous robot and its large army.
With the epic blockbuster just few short months away from hitting theatres worldwide, Hot Toys is very excited to “show you something beautiful” today, the 1/6th scale Ultron Prime Collectible Figure, that many fans and collectors have eagerly awaited to see!
The movie-accurate Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on the image of Ultron Prime in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It stands approximately 41 cm tall, featuring a newly developed head sculpt and body with mechanical details, LED light-up head and upper body, and a specially designed Avengers: Age of Ultron logo figure base with LED light-up function!
This threatening villain will have great presence in your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection!
The 1/6th scale Ultron Prime Collectible Figure specially features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Ultron Prime in Avengers: Age of Ultron
– Movie-accurate sculpture with mechanical details
– Silver colored painting on armor
– LED light-up head sculpt and upper body (red light, battery operated)
– Approximately 41 cm tall
– Newly developed body with over 30 points of articulations
– One (1) pair of palms with movable fingers
Accessory:
– Specially-designed Avengers: Age of Ultron figure stand with LED light-up function (red light, battery operated)
So get your order placed now with Sideshow Collectibles — no strings attached!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Artist Mix Figures – Hulkbuster Iron Man, Captain America, Ultron, and More
The new Hot Toys’ collectible figure line, Artist Mix Figures, are now available for pre-order at Sideshow Collectibles!
As the name suggests, Hot Toys will collaborate with different artists and designers from various spectrums to re-imagine movie characters in a special art form with unique style.
To kick-off the Artist Mix Collection, Hot Toys is joining hands with famous Japanese toy artist Touma and introducing a number of Artist Mix Figures based on one of the biggest movies of 2015 – Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron!
This first series includes Iron Man Mark XLIII, Captain America, Hulkbuster, Ultron Prime, and two versions of Ultron Sentry!- Version A and Version B
In celebrating the launch of this new collectible series, a deluxe set will be available that includes the powerful Hulkbuster and Mark XLIII (Battle Damaged Version) which is exclusive to this figures set.
Each Artist Mix Figure has a bobble-head and stands approximately 14cm, or 5.5 inches, tall (Hulkbuster stands approximately 20cm, or 11.8 inches, tall) and perfectly combines the movie characters’ designs with Touma’s distinctive art style!
Touma is a Japanese toys character designer. He started his career at a video game company 10 years ago. In 2001, he established his own workshop and started to become a figurine artist. He had his solo exhibitions and autograph sessions not only in Japan, but also in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and America. He collaborated with many major brands such as MONSTER HUNTER, STAR WARS, TRANSFORMERS, AVP, GODZILLA, POWER RANGERS, and more.
Recently, Touma and his 3D animation partner Shiroma collaborated with Hot Toys for the first time to ignite the Artist Mix Collection series to further expand the diversity of mini figures collection. The series is based on the 2015 Marvel Studios blockbuster, Avengers: Age of Ultron, which perfectly blends the iconic characters with Touma’s unique design style.
These Artist Mix Figures will look great on your shelves or desk, so don’t miss the chance to expand your Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron collection!
**Prototype shown, final product may be slightly different
**Product details could be subjected to change without further notice
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 135: I Want to Hold Hulk Hand
For Captain America the shield is more than defense–it’s a symbol of America and taking “the American Dream and make it an American reality.” Now, nearly 75 years after first appearing in Captain America Comics #2, Captain America and his shield serve as a symbol, both in the Marvel Universe and in the real world, of strength, idealism, and patriotism. And as seen in The Avengers and the two Captain America movies, it’s pretty darn cool as well!
In 2014 eFX Collectibles’ gave fans their chance to be like Stephen Colbert and put Captain America’s shield on their walls with their Avengers Captain America Shield Prop Replica. A full scale collectible cast from the original molds of the prop used in The Avengers, this eFX prop had been teased for years. Even with an edition size of 1,500 it sold out quickly. But the Marvelicious Toys hosts have one in-hand and review it on this episode!
Also on this show, a quick review of the new Ultimate Spider-Man Web Warriors figures from Hasbro, a look at the new Thanos and Captain America figures from Hot Toys, and a preview of the new LEGO UCS LEGO set.
So what are you waiting for? Marvelicious Collectors Assemble for this week’s new show!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT135.MP3
YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE DUCK — April brings 20 WHAT THE DUCK?! Variant Covers from Marvel
April is WTD Certified For WHAT THE DUCK?! Variant Covers!
Howard the Duck Waddles Into Your Favorite Marvel Comics for Special April Variants!
New York, NY — February 4th, 2015 — Sure, the highly anticipated HOWARD THE DUCK #1 from Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones hits comic shops in March, but Marvel is keeping the celebration going all the way into April! Today, Marvel is proud to unveil WHAT THE DUCK?! Month – a series of 20 special variant covers for April featuring that fabulous fowl, Howard The Duck! Now is your chance to see some of the most popular artists in the industry provide their own spin on that magnificent mallard!
“Response to the announcement of the new Howard the Duck series has been staggering,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “There were so many talented artists eager to take a quack at drawing a Howard cover we couldn’t resist building an entire variant month around him. This April is going to be WTD certified!”
Today, Marvel is excited to reveal the following WTD Variants by some of Marvel’s greatest cover artists:
· All-New Hawkeye #2 – WTD Variant Cover by Francesco Francavilla
· Amazing Spider-Man #17 – WTD Variant Cover by W. Scott Forbes
· R
ocket Raccoon #10 – WTD Variant Cover by Rob Guillory
· Uncanny Inhumans #0 – WTD Variant Cover by Christian Ward
Look for these additional WTD Variants to grace the covers of these exciting Marvel comics throughout the month of April:
· All-New Captain America #6
· All-New X-Men #41
· Ant-Man #4
· Daredevil #15
· Deadpool #45 (a.k.a. Deadpool #250)
· Guardians of the Galaxy #26
· Hulk #14
· Inhuman #14
· 
Legendary Star-Lord #11
· Ms. Marvel #14
· S.H.I.E.L.D. #5
· Silk #3
· Spider-Gwen #3
· Superior Iron Man #7
· Thor #7
· Uncanny Avengers #4
No fan can afford to miss out on these exciting variant covers featuring the one and only web-footed wonder! Run, don’t walk to your comic shops this April to get your hands on these can’t miss WHAT THE DUCK?! Variant Covers!
Ready, Set, FIGHT! Announcing SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1
Ready, Set, FIGHT! Announcing SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1
New York, NY—January 30th, 2014— The battles in Secret Wars are so big, we had to launch an entirely new book just to contain them! This May, prepare for the big, bombastic action like you’ve never seen before in SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 – a new 4-issue limited series of wall-to-wall action across the surface of Battleworld! Bursting with epic action, each issue of SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD features two all-new high-octane stories ripped from the pages of the biggest event of the year!
“The weirder and more fun, the better” says series editor Jon Moisan of the tone of the series in an interview with Marvel.com. “You want to see the 1602 version of the Punisher fight the 2099 version of Iron Man? Muskets versus the 1990s version of the future! We can even have the same characters from different worlds fight. I’m sure readers have been dreaming of seeing a dozen different versions of Howard the Duck fight. Well, guess what? It’s completely possible in SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD!”
This issue – what happens when Dr. Strange possesses the Punisher? Meet the Sorcerer EXTREME! Only Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk and Ghost Rider of this land can track this terrible two-in-one down. And things are going to get messy! Then, what happens when M.O.D.O.K. recruits every M.O.D.O.K. ever from across Battleworld for his evil scheme. I’ll give you a hint – F.I.G.H.T.!
Each issue – cover-to-cover action, pulse-pounding battles and can’t miss creators. You want action? Look no further than SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 when it explodes in to comic shops and on to digital devices this May!
SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 (of 4)
Written by JOSH WILLIAMSON & ED BRISSON
Art by MIKE HENDERSON & SCOTT HEPBURN
Cover by PACO MEDINA
Variant Cover by JAMES STOKOE
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Coming in May!
THINK GREEN – SAVE PAPER – THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!
She’s Back! Your First Look Inside SPIDER-GWEN #1!
She’s Back! Your First Look Inside SPIDER-GWEN #1!
This February, Marvel’s newest, sensational spider-woman is coming back to comic shops in the highly anticipated SPIDER-GWEN #1! Spinning directly out of the pages of the Amazing Spider-Man’s SPIDER-VERSE and the red-hot, sold-out Edge of Spider-Verse #2, is a new ongoing series that already has the whole comic industry buzzing! Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi all return to chronicle the adventures of the breakout character of 2014!
She’s Gwen Stacy. She’s smart, tough, and charming. She drums in a punk rock band and goes to high school just like you. Only she can lift a car and has spider powers! Just don’t tell her father, NYPD Police Chief George Stacy! But you knew all that already! What you don’t know is Gwen is back home following the events of Spider-Verse and you won’t believe what she’s got waiting for her!
“It’s a rare character that gets the public outcry that Spider-Gwen got,” says Senior Editor Nick Lowe. “From the sell-out of Gwen’s first appearance to the groundswell on Twitter we’re excited to bring more Spider-Gwen into the world with the creators who started it all!”
Now is your chance to get on board with the breakout character of the year as she makes her bombastic debut into her very own ongoing series. Don’t miss out when Gwen Stacy swings in to comic shops this February in SPIDER-GWEN #1!
SPIDER-GWEN #1 (DEC140832)
Written by JASON LATOUR
Art & Cover by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Variant Covers by ADAM HUGHES (DEC140835), SKOTTIE YOUNG (DEC140834)
& KRIS ANKA (DEC140833)
Blank Variant Also Available
FOC – 02/02/15, On Sale – 02/25/15
Three Thors! Three Blockbuster Creative Teams! Your First Look at THOR ANNUAL #1!
Three Thors! Three Blockbuster Creative Teams! Your First Look at THOR ANNUAL #1!
CM Punk, Jason Aaron, Noelle Stevenson & More Headline One Epic Annual!
This February, star-studded creators unite to bring you three thunderous stories that should not be missed in THOR ANNUAL #1! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look inside this highly anticipated issue featuring the can’t miss lineup of CM Punk, Rob Guillory, Noelle Stevenson, Marguerite Sauvage, Jason Aaron and Timothy Truman!
First, wrestling superstar CM Punk makes his comic writing debut alongside Chew artist Rob Guillory for a tale of the brash, boisterous young Thor and his attempt to beat the devil at his own game – by drinking him under the table!
Then, rising comic stars Noelle Stevenson (Lumberjanes) and Marguerite Sauvage (Sensational Comics) make their Marvel debuts to bring you an all-new tale of the new Thor! Who is the mysterious woman behind the mask? No one in all Ten Realms knows her secret, but the Warriors Three are determined to find out!
Finally, blockbuster Thor writer Jason Aaron and legendary artist Timothy Truman bring you an all-new tale set in the future starring King Thor! Join the Girls of Thunder on their epic quest to find their grandfather the perfect birthday present. How about a brand new Garden of Eden?
Three creative teams. Three Thors. One explosive annual. No fan can afford to miss the thunderous THOR ANNUAL #1 – on sale this February!
THOR ANNUAL #1 (DEC140896)
Written by CM PUNK, NOELLE STEVENSON & JASON AARON
Art by ROB GUILLORY, MARGUERITE SAUVAGE & TIMOTHY TRUMAN
Cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Variant Covers by ROB GUILLORY (DEC140897) & MARGUERITE SAUVAGE (DEC140898)
FOC – 02/02/15, On Sale – 02/25/15
To find a comic shop near you, visit www.c
Women of Marvel Variants Come to Your Favorite Marvel Comics This March!
Women of Marvel Variants Come to Your Favorite Marvel Comics This March!
New York, NY—January 30, 2014— This March, Marvel is celebrating Women’s History Month by gathering some of the best and brightest female artists to tackle some of Marvel’s most iconic characters for a very special variant cover theme. Today, Marvel is pleased to present your new look at a selection of March’s Women of Marvel Variant Covers!
“2014 was a huge year for Women of Marvel, both in our comics and behind the scenes,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “Marvel now has more titles starring female leads than ever before, the Women of Marvel panel is one of the most highly attended at conventions, and the weekly Women of Marvel podcast continues to grow. In 2015, we intend to continue that tradition, and March’s Women of Marvel variant covers — featuring 20 of the best female artists in the industry – is just the beginning.”
From the biggest names in the industry today to the superstars of tomorrow, you won’t want to miss a single one of these jaw-dropping variant covers coming to these exciting March titles:
· All-New Captain America #5 by TBD
· All-New Hawkeye #1 by SHO MURASE
· All-New X-Men #39 by FAITH ERIN HICKS
· Amazing Spider-Man #16 by MING DOYLE
· Ant-Man #3 by KATIE COOK
· Avengers #42 by TBD
· Black Widow #16 by VANESA DEL REY
· Captain Marvel #13 by AUFA RICHARDSON
· Deadpool #43 by TBD
· Guardians of the Galaxy #25 by ERICA HENDERSON
· Inhuman #13 by JILL THOMPSON
· Legendary Star-Lord #10 by SANA TAKEDA
· Ms. Marvel #13 by TBD
· New Avengers #31 by SARA PICHELLI
· Rocket Raccoon #9 by JANET LEE
· S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 by COLLEEN DORAN
· Superior Iron Man #6 by TBD
· Thor #6 by TBD
· Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #3 by GURIHIRU
· Uncanny Avengers #3 by AMANDA CONNER
· Uncanny X-Men #33 by STACEY LEE
“Jeanine Schaefer and I have had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the best female artists in the industry to show-off their take on Marvel’s biggest characters and teams,” says Marvel Editor Emily Shaw. “It’s been an incredible experience to bring so many awesome women together for this project. And the results have been pretty awesome!”
Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on these hotly anticipated variant covers as they come exclusively to comic shops throughout the month of March. For more information on the Women of Marvel Variant Covers
visit Marvel.com
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure
“The only matter I do not take seriously, boy, is you.”
Up for pre-order now is Hot Toys figure of Thanos — the mad titan from Guardians of the Galaxy!
Thanos is one of the most infamous Marvel villains in comic book history. His first appearance in The Avengers has already got fans widely discussing the Mad Titan’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in Guardians of the Galaxy; audiences are finally able to meet him fully when he gives his threatening speech to Ronan the Accuser.
Now Hot Toys presents the eagerly-anticipated 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure from Guardians of the Galaxy!
The movie-accurate Thanos collectible figure is specially crafted based on the appearance of Thanos in the movie, featuring a newly developed helmeted head sculpt, meticulously sculpted armored body, and Thanos’ throne with LED light-up function.
Supervillain fans, remember to make room for this powerful Mad Titan in your collection! Order now at Sideshow Collectibles!
Hot Toys – MMS280 – Guardians of the Galaxy: 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure Features
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy
– Newly developed helmeted head sculpt with movie-accurate facial expression and detailed skin texture
– Newly sculpted muscular body with over 22 points of articulations
– Approximately 38 cm tall
– Two (2) pairs of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
– One (1) metallic gold, dark grey and dark purple colored armor
– One (1) pair of metallic gold, dark grey and dark purple colored bicep armor
– One (1) pair of metallic gold, dark grey and dark purple colored gauntlets
– One (1) pair of metallic gold and dark purple colored greaves
– One (1) pair of metallic gold colored boots
Accessories:
– Thanos’ throne with LED light-up function (white light, battery operated)
– Diamond-shaped base with transparent pillars, Thanos’ nameplate and movie logo
Artists:
– Head Sculpted by Hyeong Seok Koh & Eui Jong Kim
– Head Painted by JC. Hong & Yoong Young Lee
– Armor Sculpted by Eui Jong Kim, Seung Min Kang, Seung Soo Yoo & Hyeong Seok Koh
– Figure Art Directed by JC. Hong
– Throne Sculpted by Kyoung Geun Kim, So Young Lee & Mina Yu
Check out the pictures below, and place your order now with Sideshow Collectibles — the only Hot Toys authorized reseller in the USA!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Age of Ultron Captain America Figure
The movie-accurate Captain America Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on the image of Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers in Avengers: Age of Ultron, featuring a newly painted helmeted head sculpt, a newly painted Steve Rogers head sculpt, finely tailored Captain America suit, magnetic metal Captain America shield with retractable handles, and a specially designed figure stand.
Hot Toys – MMS281- Avengers: Age of Ultron – 1/6th scale Captain America Collectible Figure
The movie-accurate Captain America Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on the image of Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers in Avengers: Age of Ultron, featuring a newly painted helmeted head sculpt, a newly painted Steve Rogers head sculpt, finely tailored Captain America suit, magnetic metal Captain America shield with retractable handles, and a specially designed figure stand.
New Podcast – Marvelicious Toys Issue 134: We Are Groot
I Am Groot!
With those words the Guardians of the Galaxy’s biggest hero rooted his place in the hearts of Marvel Movie fans. His prowess in battle escaping the prison, his genuine smile during the final battle, and his end-credits dance are all stand-out moments and helped Guardians become the biggest movie of 2014!
Now the hosts of Marvelicious Toys review a handful of toys and collectibles based on the lumbering alien. Funko’s Baby Groot Pop! Vinyl, the animatronic dancing Baby Groot toy, Dragon Models’ life-sized Baby Groot Model Kit, and Gentle Giant’s Groot Holiday Statue — all are given in-depth reviews in this show!
With a bonus review of Funko’s Howard the Duck Pop! Vinyl bobblehead, news on new figures hitting stores, and more, it’s all in this gala issue of Marvelicious Toys!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT134.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Skaar – Son of Hulk Premium Print from Sideshow Collectibles
Sideshow Collectibles’ newest Premium Art Print is now up for order: Skaar – Son of Hulk.
This print shows Skaar in the same pose as Sideshow’s sold-out Premium Format Figure, with a blade in each hand ready for battle.
The print measures 18×24 inches and is hand-numbered.
Sideshow’s Premium Art prints are a new line from Sideshow Collectibles. With an extremely low edition size (Skaar is limited to 300 prints) these have been selling out very quickly.
I received my first Premium Art Print from Sideshow last week (Psylocke) and the printing is very high quality. The Epson inks used give the piece an airbrushed feel. It is on very thick, textured paper, and the white boarder makes matting the print unnecessary.
A full review of the Psylocke print will be on an upcoming episode of the Marvelicious Toys podcast.
Order your Skarr – Son of Hulk Premium Art Print now at Sideshow Collectibles’ Web Site!
Lou Ferrigno’s “Liberator” Now Available on YouTube
FERRIGNO’S “LIBERATOR” RELEASED ON YOUTUBE
Award-Winning Short Film Features “Super” Geek Cast
Los Angeles, CA, January 14, 2015—There’s a new superhero in town — and chances are, you’ll like him when he’s angry. LIBERATOR, an 18-minute short film/presentation pilot, stars “The Incredible Hulk” star Lou Ferrigno, returning to superheroics to play an aging, disgraced ex-superhero turned whistleblower. After a successful festival/Comic-Con run followed by six months on iTunes and Amazon streaming, LIBERATOR is now available for the world to see in HD courtesy of YouTube.
LIBERATOR stars a panoply of uber-geek luminaries: Peta Wilson (“La Femme Nikita”), Michael Dorn (Worf from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), kickboxing legend Don “The Dragon” Wilson (“Bloodfist”) and the legendary Ed Asner (“Up”) as the President. LIBERATOR mixes a timely, gritty story about taking a stand against government corruption — and the resulting blowback — with a very human subplot of a father desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Fear not — there’s a big dollop of superhero action on top. Ferrigno goes deep here, surprising many with the performance of a lifetime, winning a Best Actor statuette from Cinerockom Film Festival in the process. The film also drew the attention of geek news sites like Ain’t It Cool News and many others, as well as national outlets USA Today, Yahoo! News, and Huffington Post, who called LIBERATOR “a perfect storm of awesomeness.”
“I play a government agent who takes the fall for a bad situation, and finally he decides to blow the whistle and write a book,” says Ferrigno. “Being a police officer myself—being a deputy sheriff—I think leaking classified information is wrong. But the Constitution protects freedom of speech. (Edward) Snowden felt he had to speak out. It’s the same thing with my character. Some people see him as a hero, others a traitor.”
Says Director Aaron Pope (MY HAUNTED HOUSE), “I’m really so thrilled that LIBERATOR is now going to be available free, worldwide. Our tagline is ‘truth is worth fighting for,’ and never has that statement been more true than right now. If putting our movie out there now helps anyone anywhere realize the value in fighting for what’s right, it’s well worth it. And hey, if people just want to enjoy a bit of superhero fun at the same time, they can do that too.”
LIBERATOR’s success also led to a 2-shot LIBERATOR comic book series as well as graphic novelization from Bluewater Comics. Producers Coverage Ink Films (www.coverageinkfilms.com) hope that the film’s YouTube release will interest people around the world in seeing more of Liberator. “We’d love to continue the adventures, whether it’s as a feature, webisodes or TV,” says LIBERATOR executive producer Jim Cirile. “Producer Tom DeSanto (X-MEN, TRANSFORMERS) said it best — ‘I encourage everyone to take to the social media and do whatever you can to promote (LIBERATOR), because I want to see what happens next.’ Thanks, Tom!”
WATCH LIBERATOR NOW: www.liberatormovie.com
Other links:
www.facebook.com/liberatormovie
www.twitter.com/liberatormovie
http://www.youtube.com/liberatormovie
New Podcast: Marvelicious Toys Issue 133: Guardians of the Podcast Part 2
With 2014 behind us and 2015 ahead, the crew at Marvelicious Toys deliver their second roundtable discussion looking back at 2014 and forward to 2015.
First, Arnie, Marjorie, Justin, and their guest hosts, look back at the high end collectibles in 2014. Kotobukiya. Hot Toys. Sideshow Premium Format Figures. Bowen Designs Statues. Gentle Giant Mini-Busts. XM Studios quarter-scale statues. These high-end items have been hitting hard and fast for Marvel collectors making fans think hard about where to spend their money. Join them as they determine who made the best expensive toys of the year!
Then they look forward to 2015. With Toy Fair just over a month away they say what they want to see, and what they expect to see, going forward!
All that and more in this episode of Marvelicious Toys!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT133.MP3
NEW PODCAST: Marvelicious Toys Issue 132: Guardians of the Podcast Part 1
http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT132.MP3
Pre-Order Alert: Tony Stark with Arc Reactor Creation Accessories
A new Marvel Hot Toys figure is up for pre-order–Tony Stark with Arc Reactor Creation Accessories.
In the film Iron Man 2, Tony Stark was slowly being poisoned by the palladium arc reactor in his body. With the help of the information left behind by Howard Stark, Tony was able to create a new element to use for a new Arc Reactor. This scene greatly displayed Tony Stark’s immense intelligence when he re-discovered and created a new element by using a particle accelerator.
Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys are delighted to introduce the new sixth scale Tony Stark with Arc Reactor Creation Accessories Collectible Set. This collectible set includes a specially crafted collectible figure based on the image of Robert Downey Jr. as the genius billionaire Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, and features a newly developed head sculpt, an advanced body with light-up chest light, detailed outfit, and the Captain America shield prototype which he has used to level the particle accelerator and workshop accessories.
Iron Man fans, don’t miss out on this collectible set! Expand your Iron Man series collection! Order it now from Sideshow!
We Are (Baby) Groot! Pre-Order Alert
Hot Toys Enters the Quarter Scale Marvel Market in a Small Way with the pre-order for the Little Groot Quarter Scale Figure.
In 2012 Hot Toys announced they held the license for Quarter Scale Marvel Figures. The company is widely known for their detailed (and expensive) Marvel sixth scale figures, including over 20 versions of Iron Man, and many collectors wondered what the cost of such items would be. Yet since the announcement Hot Toys has limited their 1/4 Scale releases to Iron Man busts. Now Hot Toys releases their first full figure in Quarter Scale, but it’s not Iron Man, nor any other humanoid creature–it’s Little Groot, as seen at the end of this year’s top-grossing film Guardians of the Galaxy.
In 1/4 scale, this potted Groot stands about 5.5-inches tall. Yet the figure is fully bendable allowing for a variety of poses. With three separate head sculpts you can have serious Groot, dancing Groot, or super-happy Groot!
The collector in me is worried about long-term wear on the figure from too much bending, but the Groot fan in me finds this too cute to prevent me from buying it!
At under $45 I think this figure would be Hot Toys’ top-selling figure of all time, except the market is flooded with baby Groot figures. Funko has their POP Vinyl version released; a low-cost animatronic dancing Baby Groot has surfaced at Wal Mart stores in the USA, KIDdesigns has a dancing Baby Groot shipping this Spring, Dragon has a full-scale Baby Groot Maquette, and Hot Toys themselves have already put up for pre-order two different Baby Groot figures in the 1/6 scale line–accessories with the Rocket and (full size, adult) Groot 2-figure set.
Still, at under $45 this is a great gift item that will likely sell quickly. So go GROOT yours now at Sideshow Collectibles!
New Podcast: Issue 131: So Right It’s Thong
With the Holidays coming the stores are full of toys, and bargains! From a Toys R Us exclusive, free Rocket Racoon LEGO mini-figure to discounts on Disney’s Marvel Infinity figures and even some hard to find Marvel Infinite Series figures hitting shelves! On this issue of Marvelicious Toys Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie tell you where to shop to get the most toys for your buck!
Also on this week’s show is a review of Gentle Giant’s new quarter-scale Black Widow, from their line of statues based on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This statue is made from a 3-D scan of Scarlett Johansson. Watch and see how this Widow stacks up against Sideshow’s Premium Format figures.
With an in-depth look at 3-D Plus Me’s statues, the Super Awesome Me figures, Sideshow’s new art print line, and much more, it’s an episode stuffed more full than a Christmas stocking! So watch now!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT131.MP3
Category: Arts
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Iron Man Striker Armor Mk XXV
Just a few days ago Sideshow Collectibles put up for pre-order the exclusive Hot Toys Iron Man Hot Rod Armor – Mark XXII. That piece has sold out in just a couple days (though Sideshow is taking Wait List reservations, so if you might want that figure join the list now!)
But now, just a few days later, they have another one up for order: The Iron Man Mark XXV: The Striker Armor.
As seen in Iron Man 3, Tony Stark has built the Striker (Mark XXV), also known as the Heavy Construction Suit. This suit is designed for assisting in heavy construction with its distinctive Pneumatic Hammers. Although the hammers are not designed for combat, they still proved to be lethal when Striker assisted in eradicating the two Extremis soldiers attacking James Rhodes.
The Iron Man Mark XXV – Striker Sixth Scale Figure features:
- Authentic and detailed likeness of Striker (Mark XXV), the Heavy Construction Suit, in Iron Man 3
- Over 30 points of articulation
- Approximately 34 cm tall
- LED light-up eyes and rectangular-shaped RT on chest (white light, battery operated)
- Silver, gray, and yellow painting on armor with specially applied distressed effects
- Special features of armor:
– A pair of distinctive Pneumatic Hammers with LED light up function (white light, battery operated)
– Articulated air flaps
– Articulations on waist armor allowing flexible movement
Accessory:
- One (1) circular figure stage with flexible pillar
This figure is up for pre-order, and Flex Pay is available, so get your order in now at Sideshow Collectibles site!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys – Iron Man 3 Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure (Hot Toys Exclusive)
Sideshow has just put up for pre-order Hot Toys’ newest exclusive die cast Iron Man 3 suit of armor — the Hot Rod Mark XXII.
Tony Stark designed the Mark XXII armor as a War Machine 2.0 Prototype Suit in Iron Man 3. This lightly-armed suit is built with versatility in mind being able to dodge obstacles and move around mid-air more swiftly. Tony Stark was just about to jump into the suit in the movie before it got attack by an Extremis soldier. It earns the name of “Hot Rod” as its arms and legs’ design resembles the classic American hot rod with flames.
Now, with this pre-order, Hot Toys is expanding the “House Party Protocol” with the 1/6th scale Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure as a Hot Toys Exclusive item. It is the latest addition to their MMS Diecast Series which the collectible figures are made of diecast material, and realistically designed to look more like Hot Rod as it appears in the movie.
The movie-accurate Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure contains diecast material and is crafted with fine details featuring metallic dark gray, silver and red armor with distinctive flame patterns on legs and LED light-up functions.
If you are an Iron Man fans, don’t miss the chance to add this special armor to your House Party Protocol!
This item is exclusive to the “Toy Soul 2014” event in Hong Kong on Dec 19-21 but you can secure yours now from Sideshow Collectibles!
The 1/6th scale Hot Rod (Mark XXII) Collectible Figure’s special features:
– Authentic likeness of Hot Rod (Mark XXII), the War Machine 2.0 Prototype Suit, in Iron Man 3
– Approximately 30 cm tall
– Over 36 points of articulations
– Contains diecast material
– LED-lighted eyes and rectangular-shaped arc reactor on chest (white light, battery operated)
– Metallic dark gray, silver and red armor with distinctive flame patterns on legs
– Interchangeable forearm rocket-launching armor
– Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of palms with movable fingers and light-up repulsors
(white light, battery operated)
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of repulsor palms
– One (1) saluting right palm
– Articulations on waist armor which allow flexible movement
Accessory:
– One (1) LED light-up figure stand with movie logo (white light, battery operated)
This figure is expected to ship in January. The other Hot Toys Toy Soul 2014 exclusive, the Shadow Stormtrooper, sold out in a few hours, so don’t make that mistake and miss out on this rare chance to add the Hot Rod armor to your collection! Pre-order now at Sideshow Collectibles site!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys EXCLUSIVE Shadow Stormtrooper MMS Figure
Hot Toys collectors, fans of 12-Inch Star Wars figures, and troop builders, you can stop reading right now and just hurry to Sideshow Collectibles’ site to put in your order now for Hot Toys Exclusive 1/6th scale Shadow Trooper Figure!
If you’re still reading, I see you need some convincing.
The Hot Toys figures have started to take the Star Wars collecting community by storm(trooper) but here is their first exclusive release in the Star Wars Movie Masterpiece Series of figures. Hot Toys exclusives are notoriously hard to get. Distributors like Sideshow get a small number, if they get any at all! The prices on the secondary market have climbed over $1,000 for some of the Avengers exclusive figures, and I expect the Star Wars figures to have even higher demand.
This is the Shadow Trooper (also known as the Black Hole Stormtrooper for old-school Star Wars comics fans). It was first to be available at “Toy Soul 2014” in Hong Kong, but has been released already for pre-order by Sideshow. It is expected to ship in January.
The 1/6th scale Shadow Trooper Collectible Figure specially features:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Shadow Trooper in Star Wars
– Body with over 30 points of articulations
– Specially applied gloss black painted armor with weathered effect
– Approximately 30 cm tall
– Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable gloved palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of palms for holding weapons
– One (1) gesturing left palm
Costume:
– One (1) Shadow Trooper armor
– One (1) black under-suit
– One (1) Shadow Trooper belt with leather holster
– One (1) pair of black boots
Weapon:
– One (1) blaster rifle
Accessories:
– One (1) black pauldron
– Two (2) black belt pouches
– Specially designed figure stand with Shadow Trooper nameplate and Star Wars logo
Artists:
– Figure Painted by Lok Ho
– Figure Art Directed by JC. Hong
So check out the pictures, and now hurry to Sideshow and order yours!
New Podcast: Issue 130: Black Friday and Sweet Christmas Gift Guide 2014
It’s Thanksgiving and time for Marvelicious Toys’ 5th Annual Black Friday Shopping and Holiday Gift Guide!
First, Justin, Arnie, and Marjorie run down all the Marvel toys and collectibles on sale Thursday through Sunday this weekend. From Disney Infinity toys to Hasbro figures, listen to find out where the deep discounts are in stores and online!
Also this show, shopping for collectors can be challenging. Whether you’re buying for your friend, spouse, or perhaps a holiday treat for yourself, the choices are daunting. Join the Marvelicious hosts as they detail the hot Marvel gifts this year. From action figures to high end collectibles to housewares, shirts, and even a few WTF items, it’s all in this issue!
Plus there’s still a few days left to sign up for the Marvelicious Toys Holiday Gift X-Change! Registration closes December 2nd so sign up now to give and get some Marvel goodies this holiday season!
It’s an episode more full than your plate at Thanksgiving dinner, so watch now!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT130.MP3
Category: Arts
New Podcast: Issue 129: Holding Out for a Big Hero 6
It’s been a great year for Marvel movies and that looks to continue today with the release of Big Hero 6. This film is the first movie from Disney Animation to be based on Marvel Comics characters, and the ones chosen are even more obscure than the Guardians of the Galaxy! But with this new movie comes new licensing deals, and the toys are not from Hasbro but Ban Dai. In this issue of Marvelicious Toys, join Marjorie, Arnie, and Justin as they look at the 4-inch figure line as well as the SDCC exclusive Baymax figure!
But also on this show is something for fans of more classic Marvel characters. Hitting Targets is an exclusive three pack of Marvel Legends figures: Ms. Marvel, Radioactive Man, and Captain America. Is this set worth hunting down? Watch this show for a full review!
With more news on Marvel films, some stocking stuffers in the toy aisle, and more, it’s all in this new Marvelicious Toys podcast!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT129.MP3
Category: Arts
New Podcast: Issue 128: No Full Cream Hulk at NYCC
Marvel movies are where it’s at! This past week saw the announcement of nine new, upcoming movies based on the characters of Marvel Comics, and it couldn’t come at a better time as the community is giddy over the two trailers shown for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Arnie first saw these trailers at New York Comic-Con, as well as footage from Ant-Man and more upcoming Marvel projects. On this issue of Marvelicious Toys the hosts all give their impression of the next big superhero film to hit theaters!
Also on this week’s show Marjorie and Arnie report from New York Comic-Con 2014. From new Avengers and Infinite Series figures shown by Hasbro to an X-trordinary new Art-FX+ collection by Kotobukiya and so much more, it’s all covered in this show!
With a review of the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. at the Discovery Center in Times Square, a discussion of NYCC attendance, and so much more, it’s all in this bonus issue of Marvelicious Toys!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT128.MP3
Category: Arts
Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Thor 3, Avengers 3 and 4 Announced by Marvel Studios
In a move worthy of Apple, Marvel Studios held a presentation today unveiling its third phase of films based on the characters from Marvel Comics.
While several expected titles were told, many surprises were there as well.
With this announcement, the current slate of movies from Marvel Studios are:
May 1, 2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Director: Joss Whedon.
Starring: Robert Downey, Jrl, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, James Spader, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Hayley Atwell, Andy Serkis
View the trailer below:
July 27, 2015
Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly
May 6, 2016
Captain America: Civil War
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman
November 4, 2016
Doctor Strange
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch (rumored)
May 5, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper (all rumored)
July 28, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok
Director: ???
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston (rumored)
November 3, 2017
Black Panther
Director: ???
Starring: Chadwick Boseman
May 4, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
Director: ???
Starring: ???
July 6, 2018
Captain Marvel
Director: ???
Starring: ???
November 2, 2018
Inhumans
Director: ???
Starring: ???
May 4, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War Part 2
Director: ???
Starring: ???
These titles bring back many established heroes while bringing in new ones and meeting the call for diversity among superhero films (a female-led film and a superhero film starring a black man). Conspicuous by their absence are any additional Iron Man films, as well as any films featuring popular Avengers heroes Hulk or Black Widow.
How do you feel about this line-up of movies over the next five years? Let us know in the comments below!
New Podcast: Issue 127: Man of Steelbooks
With Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past Marvel movie collectors have seen their share of variant covers and exclusive gimmicks. But for the hard core movie collectors the best versions aren’t available in the states. The collectible rage overseas is steelbooks! Exclusive, limited edition cases only available in Europe and Asia can cost a pretty penny for American fans, but it’s a price many are willing to pay. What makes these so sought after? From the UK, Star Wars Action News reporter and Marvel movie collector Steve “The Gingerprince”, reports in with a review of several of the best Steelbooks!
Also on this week’s episode Marjorie, Arnie, and Justin have been scanned–by 3D Plus Me! At San Diego Comic-Con the hosts had their heads imaged for custom statues putting their heads on Marvel characters from Black Widow to Iron Man to M.O.D.O.K. Now the company has partnered with Hasbro for Super Awesome Me–custom face scans put atop an articulated Hasbro Titan figure of Captain America or Iron Man. Marjorie and Arnie saw the figures in person at New York Comic-Con, and the hosts all have some of their SDCC statues in hand. Should you seek out 3D Plus Me at their next convention appearance? Listen for a detailed review of these statues!
With a report on a new Hot Toys X-man, a classic Spider-Man maquette, and so much more, it’s all in this issue of Marvelicious Toys!
And stay tuned next week for a bonus episode where the hosts run down all the reveals from New York Comic-Con!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT127.MP3
Category: Arts
Marvel Movie Pre-Order Alerts: Hot Toys Wolverine and Hikari Sofubi Groot
Fans of movies based on Marvel Comics characters have several pre-orders hitting today!
First, from the film X-Men: Days of Future Past Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles bring Wolverine! This figure has over 30 points of articulation, 3 pairs of swappable hands (with and without claws!), and an outfit representing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the dystopian future shown at the film’s opening. It stands just under 12-inches tall, and comes with a specialized Wolverine display base.
Now, it’s no secret that licensees have issues making toys and collectibles based on 20th Century Fox’s X-Men and Fantastic Four films. The last X-Men film to receive a big marketing push was X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009. In 2011, covering New York Toy Fair for Marvelicious Toys, I interviewed one of the Marvel reps at Hasbro’s presentation. I was shocked at a lack of toys for that summer’s X-Men: First Class and I asked about that. I was told that Marvel would be marketing their X-Men: First Class comic books, not the movies. Indeed, in the past five years it has been hard to find any toys or statues based on the X-Men movies; only the comics. Only Diamond Select, with their Minimates lines, has covered all the Marvel movies regardless of studio.
In 2012 Hot Toys announced a licensing agreement for figures based on X-Men: First Class and Magneto and Charles Xavier figures were shown at various Hot Toys exhibits, but they never were released. It is more than likely pressure from Marvel has caused those figures to be indefinitely delayed, if not altogether cancelled.
Yet Hot Toys has persevered in releasing X-Men movie toys…if only Wolverine figures. Their first was from X-Men Origins: Wolverine released in 2009. That figure shot up in value and even had some high-quality bootlegs sold on eBay. As such, in 2012 Hot Toys made another Wolverine figure from X-Men III: The Last Stand. Then last year Hot Toys made another version of this character, showing his appearance in The Wolverine (still available to order, at a deep discount, from Sideshow Collectibles). This Days of Future Past Wolverine is the 4th version of this character.
Despite how much I really want Hot Toys to finally release the other X-Men figures (specifically the yellow-and-blue clad X-Men from First Class) Wolverine is the most popular X-Man. Each version of this figure has been distinct, and showing a likeness of Hugh Jackman appropriate to that film. This is an older Jackman likeness, and the future outfit is far different from any we’ve gotten before.
At $250 the figure is a bit more expensive than I’d like–with no large diorama pieces, excessive accessories, or swappable heads I’d prefer to see this around $200 like The Wolverine version, but it’s still a great version of the character.
I have it ordered already, both for the figure it is, plus I’m hoping that by “voting with my dollars” Hot Toys and Marvel realize high-end figures based on the X-Men films are profitable enough to continue beyond Wolverine.
(as an aside, X-Men: Days of Future Past came out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, and the collector’s edition is almost half off at Amazon!)
If you prefer Marvel Studios’ own films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy, a new collectible is available for you as well! From Funko comes the Entertainment Earth exclusive Hikari Premium Sofubi Vinyl Figure of Groot!
While that’s a lot of adjectives, Funko’s Hikari Premium Sofubi Vinyl Figures are 11-inch soft vinyl figures. This one is limited to 5,000 pieces and only available from Entertainment Earth.
Funko is known for having several variants for each of their Sofubi figures, from color changes to translucent glittery versions. Several variants of the Groot Hikari Vinyl Figure were displayed at New York Comic-Con, but this Entertainment Earth version seems to be the most movie-accurate. You can order it now at EE.
And for Hikari collectors, Barnes and Noble just put up their exclusive black-and-white version of the Spider-Man figure, called “Dangerous Spider-Man” for $71. That is not a pre-order; mine has shipped already.
Pre-Order Alert: Spider-Man J Scott Campbell Maquette, Classic Colors, from Sideshow Collectibles
Up for pre-order right now is Sideshow Collectibles’ Spider-Man Classic Polystone Statue, part of their J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection.
This statue stands over a foot-and-a-half tall, showing the wall crawler doing just that, ready to shoot his webs at an unknown enemy.
This statue is based on the same art and sculpt of their previous J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man statue, but features the web-head in his black-and-red coloring from the McFarlane era. More, the base is re-decorated showing a broken off, classic Spider-Man logo, resembling a comic book cover in three dimensions far more than the previous red and blue statue.
Sideshow Collectibles has been finding ways to reuse their sculpts for some time now. While this isn’t entirely new, they did a Gray Hulk and Negative Zone Spider-Man Premium Format Figures, it seems more prevalent now than before. In the past year they released the Storm Premium Format in white, the Gladiator Hulk redone as King Hulk, they used a new Hulk body to release three different Hulk statues, and then repainted their Deadpool Premium Format Gray.
On Marvelicious Toys I’ve usually railed against high-end repaints–it’s fine for a $12 or $20 figure, but seems excessive for a $300-$400 statue. In this case, however, it feels less like a cash-grab and more artistic. The exclusive version of the Campbell Spider-Man Maqeutte sold out, and this paint app has a totally different feel than the original. The different bases help differentiate the statue and make it feel like a nice option, or a chance for those who missed out on the original to get this new version of Spider-Man.
It’s up for pre-order now at $299, and a flex pay option is available. So place your order now at Sideshow’s site!
New Podcast: Issue 126: If You Squint…
It’s no secret that Marvel downplays any X-Men merchandise preferring to promote toys, statues, and comics featuring characters owned by their Marvel Studios movie branch. Yet, with the major release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Hasbro was able to release a wave of Marvel Legends figures based on the comic incarnations for many of Marvel’s mighty mutants. Magneto and Wolverine, Stryfe and Storm, plus Cyclops all are in this Toys R Us exclusive wave, and with all the figures you can also build Jubilee. On this issue of Marvelicious Toys Marjorie, Arnie, and Justin review these six new releases and discuss where you can order a set now!
Also on this week’s show, the Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise is starting to hit hard. The hosts review Kotobukiya’s new Art-FX+ Rocket Raccoon and Groot statue, as well as the Rocket Raccoon Labbit from Kidrobot!
With Justin’s final decision on Sideshow’s 12-inch Deadpool, major sales at Walgreens stores, and more, it’s all in this issue of Marvelicious Toys!
And don’t miss Marvelicious Toys’ coverage of New York Comic-Con! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for pics and updates from Wednesday’s Hasbro event as well as the convention itself! And if you find Marjorie or Arnie on the floor they are giving away exclusive Marvelicious Toys buttons!
We want you to join our team! We have openings currently for video editors, audio editors, and photo editors! Find out all the details in our forums!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT126.MP3
Category: Arts
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow’s 12-Inch Line Begins with DEADPOOL
For years Sideshow Collectibles has been the place for US-based Marvel collectors to buy 12-inch figures of their favorite heroes. Specifically, 12-inch figures manufactured by Hong Kong-based Hot Toys distributed by Sideshow Collectibles.
Now, though, Sideshow’s doing it for themselves having debuted a brand new Marvel 12-inch figure line, designed and manufactured in-house.
That line now has its first figure up for pre-order and it’s the fan favorite mutant Deadpool. The price is $229.99, and payment plans are available.
Like Sideshow’s long-running G.I. Joe and Star Wars lines, new Marvel Comics figure line consists of highly articulated figures clothed in soft goods outfits and loaded with accessories. The figure stands 12-inches tall and while it is listed as “fully articulated” the specific posability is not mentioned.
Deadpool is dressed in his classic red and black costume, hand-tailored by Sideshow’s designers. The piece is then finished off with plastic and rubber heads, hands, boots, and accessories. In this case, Deadpool has his harness with enough pouches to make his creator Rob Liefeld proud, plus kneepads and shoulder pads.
Where the figure really stands out is the accessories. The Deadpool figure comes with two swap-out heads with different masked facial expressions, two pistols, an assault rifle, 2 katanas, a knife, and two grenades. Plus the figure has five pairs of hands for different positions, including thumbs-up, a fist, and hands made to hold each of the weapons.
Plus Sideshow also has up for order an exclusive edition, limited in production and available only directly from Sideshow themselves, and that version of the figure has an additional accessory–a zombie head of the character Headpool.
The figure is up for order today but will not ship for over a year! The listed ship date is October, 2015 and these releases often miss those target dates by one to three months.
This new figure line is totally separate from the Hot Toys Marvel sixth-scale figure collection. While Hot Toys has focused on figures based on Marvel movie incarnations (Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man; Nicholas Cage as Ghost Rider) Sideshow is making figures accurate to their comic book styles. To this end, Deadpool’s outfit is a bright red.
At San Diego Comic-Con Sideshow debuted Deadpool as well as the next two characters that will be added to this series–The Punisher and Wolverine. Given the history with Sideshow’s other 12-inch lines there is little doubt that those figures, and many more, will be offered for pre-order in the coming months.
There is no deposit needed for this figure, and the exclusive edition is likely to sell out long before the ship date. So if interested, you can place your order now from Sideshow Collectibles.
Are you getting Sideshow’s 12-inch line? Let us know in our forums!
New Podcast: Issue 125: Slot Machine
Marvelicious Toys is back!
Arnie and Marjorie have returned from Vegas, but on their trip they found plenty of Marvel goodies! From Iron Man slot machines to a Kidrobot retail outlet, and more, listen to find out that what toys are found in Vegas don’t necessarily stay in Vegas!
Also this week, Sideshow Collectibles new 12-inch Marvel figure line has debuted with their first offering–Deadpool! Justin runs down this new figure, as well as the upcoming Deadpool movie!
With a rundown of the Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past exclusive Blu-ray releases, Sideshow’s new Thor – The Dark World Premium Format figure, Agent Venom at discount, and so much more in this issue of Marvelicious Toys!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT125.MP3
Category: Arts
The 40 Year-Old-Critic: X-Men: First Class (2011)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
I didn’t really want to review the X-Men films for Now Playing Podcast.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy discussing any movie in-depth, whether it’s Leprechaun in Space or Touch of Evil. But for X-Men I had a specific hesitation.
I had, in passing, already discussed these films with longtime friend and podcast co-host Stuart. It was clear we didn’t see eye-to-eye; he expressed a preference for Bryan Singer’s earlier, dour X-films; I actually enjoyed Brett Ratner’s third X-Men movie, The Last Stand, the most — finally giving the superheroes fight sequences they’d been denied on screen.
I hadn’t seen the X-Men films in a few years by 2011, when we started our Marvel Movie Retrospective Series, but I was fully prepared to stand alone with my minority opinion.
It wasn’t that I loved X-Men: The Last Stand. I felt all the X-Men films were lacking in some areas, and expressing my preference for Ratner’s vision didn’t mean I could champion it. I loved Marvel, especially the movies, but to this franchise I held no allegiance.
That is why in 2009 we took a pass on that year’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. After the film was released we felt doubly justified.
But, as I discussed in my Howard the Duck article, in 2011 Now Playing was beginning its most ambitious endeavor; reviewing every Marvel-based movie ever released in theaters (U.S. or overseas). That meant Stuart, Jakob, and I would have to tackle the X-films, eventually.
How we approached this retrospective was the subject of some debate. I initially pitched doing all the films intermixed, in chronological order. Perhaps because it would have seemed odd to have 2002’s Spider-Man review immediately followed by 2003’s Daredevil and Hulk (both released before Spider-Man 2) Stuart wisely suggested breaking the series into a number of smaller sub-series; do Spider-Man as a unit, Blade as another group, and the X-Men by themselves. But then how would we order them? First-to-last according to release date? Or do we start with the most recent film?
Finally, realizing the interest listeners had in our theatrical release reviews, we decided to just shuffle all the series’ around to whatever order fit; but two rules presided. First, we would arrange series’ so that if they had a theatrical release, as happened for X-Men and Ghost Rider, we would tie into that release. Second, we would do all the movies in time for the ultimate Marvel crossover movie: 2012’s The Avengers.
(Sony then threw a wrench in that plan by releasing their The Amazing Spider-Man reboot in the weeks following Avengers, making Marvel’s most popular superhero the only one we hadn’t reviewed)
Would audiences accept an X-film without Wolverine?
This massive undertaking meant we could delay it no further; we had to review X-Men. More, while we had done three one-off Marvel movies — Howard the Duck, Man-Thing, and Kick Ass, in a loose group we called Marvel Misfits — X-Men was our first real series in the Marvel Movie Retrospective. This was demanded by the release of 20th Century Fox’s impending reboot/prequel of their X-franchise, X-Men: First Class.
I wasn’t terribly excited for First Class. It was the latest offering in a scattershot series. More, it didn’t have Wolverine. While his 2009 solo film was an over-the-top testosterone-fueled orgy of explosions, I still enjoyed the character and did wonder if his absence from First Class was a blessing, giving him a rest after Origins, or a curse, the new film lacking the series’ star.
It turns out all of this fear was for nothing. While Stuart and I did disagree over the merits of the first three X-Men films and Origins, the conversations were always fun. More, Jakob provided a great third perspective that tempered both of our points and prevented the conversations from following any preconceived pattern I’d feared. Also, revisiting the films with revised expectations allowed me to appreciate them more than I had in the past.
More importantly, though, in 2011 the X-Men got their first truly great film with First Class. I had feared not finding a film I loved in the X-series, but new director Matthew Vaughn delivered that in spades.
First, the film had a lead cast that was nothing short of amazing.
I knew James McAvoy from his earlier teen comedy Starter For Ten, a film funnier than its teen game show premise deserved. The actor was also a standout in Wanted, holding his own against Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie, and imbibing his character with personality that seemed lacking from the movie’s thin script.
Still, while I liked the man’s work, I had a hard time imagining him as Charles “Professor X” Xavier, the lead X-Man portrayed by Patrick Stewart in the earlier films. But with Vaughn’s direction and the script (co-written by the director) this was a young, cheeky Xavier, and McAvoy owned the part.
He was, however, overshadowed by co-star Michael Fassbender, who took the role of Erik “Magneto” Lensherr; previously occupied by Ian McKellen. X-Men: First Class took elements from a canceled X-Men Origins: Magneto script — and truthfully this film is Magneto’s. Like the original X-Men film, First Class opens in a Nazi concentration camp showing Magneto, still a child, discovering his powers. But it continues that story line and shows the Nazis grooming Lensherr and training him. Magneto’s quest for revenge is the true arc of this film, and, playing Erik as an adult, Fassbender commands the screen.
I can’t recall even hearing Fassbender’s name before First Class. I had seen him in only two films: 300 and Jonah Hex, and neither performance was memorable. From this role I knew Fassbender had amazing range. With the X-Men franchise under his belt Fassbender has picked a variety of mostly smaller films allowing him to demonstrate his range, but he was truly the best find of First Class.
Jennifer Lawrence joins the X-franchise as Mystique.
That is probably a somewhat unpopular opinion, especially for any Hunger Games fans reading this review, as First Class also featured Jennifer Lawrence, starring as the shape-shifting mutant Mystique (a role previously played by Rebecca Romijn). Unlike Fassbender, I knew of Lawrence before First Class due to her role in Winter’s Bone. Strong word-of-mouth brought that movie to my attention, and Lawrence earned an Academy Award nomination for her role. Still, while already an acclaimed actress, she was just beginning her career. Few could have predicted what her future held; becoming Hollywood’s biggest actress thanks to her role of Katniss in the aforementioned Hunger Games series, plus continuing to make critically acclaimed films, as well as winning an Oscar for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.
In X-Men: First Class it was clear she was as talented as her more seasoned co-stars. While not much more than a sexy henchman in the original X-Men trilogy, here Mystique’s dilemma is the heart of the film; she can do amazing things but her true form is scaly and blue. The film shows her path of self-acceptance and, as a by-product, her allegiance shifting from the more diplomatic Professor X to the more militant Magneto.
Even the smaller roles were stacked with great performances, with Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, and Oliver Platt being stand-outs. I felt the only weak link in the film was January Jones, the Mad Men star who played “White Queen” Emma Frost.
Yet while the cast was amazing, its director was even more so. I knew Vaughn only for his 2010 superhero parody Kick-Ass, and he brought that same visual flare and fast-paced storytelling style to First Class. Also, like Kick-Ass, this film had actual character development intermixed with a healthy dose of comedy.
Out of all the X-Men films, this was the first one that had been really, truly fun while also establishing amazing rivalries and human drama. It was the first great X-Men movie.
It was a delight to watch, and I was ecstatic while recording the Now Playing review when I discovered Jakob and Stuart had seen the same film I did. The only thing better than watching an amazing film is sharing that enthusiasm with other film lovers.
The movie, and that podcast review, were my personal high points of our X-Men retrospective series, and it kicked off our Marvel Retrospective with a huge bang. There were good times ahead.
In the three years since this film’s theatrical release I’ve seen it at least a dozen more times. I went back to see it in theaters even after Now Playing’s review, just for fun. I bought it on its Blu-ray release date, and watched it immediately. It’s a staple, any time it airs on television I turn it on again. On flights it’s the movie that gets the most play on my iPad.
Fassbender’s Magneto is the highlight of the film.
Yet this enthusiasm is tinged with sadness. While I did not share a dissenting opinion on the podcast, all three of us seem to be in a minority group for our love of this film. It became the lowest grossing X-Men film ever — audiences just didn’t turn out to see the movie. Perhaps they were put off by the lack of Wolverine? Maybe the 1960s period piece feel didn’t appeal to 21st Century moviegoers? Perhaps the summer was just too full of superheroes with Thor and Captain America also hitting screens? No matter the reason, the film failed to find an audience and made less money than 2000’s original X-Men, even with 11 years of ticket inflation taken into account.
More, it seems this movie didn’t catch on in home video. I thought it could have a second life in home theaters, but my anecdotal evidence suggests people simply preferred the movies with the original cast to this new vision.
If there is no greater joy than discussing a beloved film with others who share that sentiment, there are few feelings more depressing than feeling alone and wondering why everyone else can’t see in this film the great things I see.
Worse, lack of fan response ended First Class‘ run in the X-Men. Fox, knowing they have to battle Marvel (who are the creators of the X-Men characters, but don’t hold the film rights), decided a major course correction was needed for the studio’s premier superhero franchise. They had definite ideas for the next X-Men movie, and were prepared to spend more than they ever had before to ensure their mutants could stand their ground against the Avengers. Studio interference and demands, including bringing back some members of the original cast to appeal to fans, led to Vaughn abandoning development on the sequel film, and in his place Bryan Singer returned to the franchise.
The result of Fox and Singer’s work was this year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. It was a very good movie — Singer’s best entry in the franchise by a mile. Yet it didn’t do as good a job juggling the characters, the story line wasn’t as tight, and it lacked the groovy, kinetic fun of First Class. It lacked Vaughn, who was the X-factor the franchise needed most.
But again I may stand alone in that opinion, as Days of Future Past became the highest-grossing X-film to date; besting X-Men: The Last Stand’s take in 2006.
I have no doubt that with the upcoming X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, the X-films will continue to get grander and mix in more cast members new and old. I just hold out hope that at some point they look back and see all that First Class did right, and bring some of that lighthearted humanity back to the X-Men.
Tomorrow — 2011!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
The 40 Year-Old-Critic: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
On the surface this may look like I’m again revisiting a movie reviewed on Now Playing Podcast. But that’s not the case. This is actually the first time I’m getting to share my views on Edgar Wright’s 2010 romantic comedy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Looking back, I recall 2010 was a very busy summer for me. I was approaching my 5th anniversary of podcasting with Star Wars Action News, which was, at the time, our most-downloaded show. However, Now Playing was on the rise in the iTunes ranks, and while 2009 saw the show go several weeks without a new episode, by 2010 we were putting out a new show almost every week. We even decided to experiment with fundraising to help cover our costs by doing two shows a week in October: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Retrospective Series on our main feed and the Child’s Play Retrospective Series for those who donated money to the show.
Doing so many podcasts at once was becoming a heavy load for me to carry, and I hit a bit of a breaking point by late summer. Not only were we doing two Now Playing shows per week and Star Wars Action News, but we also were covering San Diego Comic-Con in July (which had us producing an SDCC-exclusive bonus podcast review of I Know Who Killed Me), and the Star Wars Celebration V convention in mid-August. There Marjorie and I, as part of Star Wars Action News, were throwing a party that was to be attended by hundreds of people, hosting several panels on Star Wars Collecting and the Star Wars Radio Dramas, and, of course, trying to put together our reports on the convention.
I felt I needed a break; priorities had to shift. SWAN was Venganza Media’s flagship podcast, so it and Star Wars Celebration V demanded my attention. I needed time off from Now Playing.
Until that point I had been Now Playing’s constant. I was the producer and — for most of the run — editor of the show. The other hosts rotated, but I was always there facilitating the show and making sure it went smoothly. Yet I still made plans, communicating with Brock, Stuart, and Jakob to do the Philip K. Dick Retrospective Series without me. It seemed perfectly timed, as The Adjustment Bureau was coming out in July. The guys would record the shows, and our first editor, Jay, would cut them. I could finally be “hands off.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be on the series; Blade Runner is a long-time favorite that I’ve seen more often than I can count. Total Recall is another favorite. With Minority Report also in the series, I would have liked to be there to express the minority opinion that the film isn’t very good.
Still working the schedule, I could see we needed one more show for August, specifically for the weekend of Star Wars Celebration. I suggested the guys do Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I knew nothing about the movie beyond having seen some trailers, but to me it seemed in line with Now Playing’s usual fare. First, it looked like a film full of comedic action and special effects. Second, it was coming from Edgar Wright, the director of the awesome and quirky Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Third, Jakob was a huge fan of the comic books and hyped for the film.
It seemed all set and ready to go.
Then it all fell apart.
Right after the July 4 weekend Universal Pictures announced it was moving The Adjustment Bureau’s release to February 2011. These Hollywood schedule shifts always cause headaches for us, but none had been worse than this one; most of the Dick series had already been recorded and we had to scramble to get other shows ready and released to fill that gap — not what I wanted to be doing in an already jam-packed July.
Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers. Do they deserve each other?
Then came Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I was in Orlando for Celebration when the show was released, which made it the first (and only) time in Now Playing history I was hearing the show as a listener. I had complete faith in the guys to do a great job, but it was odd to be so out of the loop on my own show. Yet I listened, even without having seen the film, and it was a solid episode. Still, it was hard for me to judge — I was too busy to see the movie.
Finally, after returning from Celebration in late August, Marjorie and I made it to the theater to see Scott Pilgrim. It was a chore — the movie had quickly vanished from our local theaters, so we had to drive two hours each way to see it. Yet it was completely worth it. I sat there enraptured as Wright delivered what, to this day, remains his best film.
Part of the thrill came from the fact I didn’t really know what the film was about. The trailers suggested that the characters were living in a video game world, collecting coins and getting 1-Up extra lives. It was quirky, but what was it about? I expected the movie to offer some explanation; perhaps, Tron-like, Scott had fallen into a video game world, or maybe he had an overactive imagination like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
No, it turned out Wright was a confident enough filmmaker to just make a fantasy film in which this was the world. It wasn’t strange to any character that mortal combat would break out in the streets, that two-headed dragons would emerge from speaker systems, or that coins magically appear when people die. All taking place in the magical land of… Canada. It was a vision that Wright completely committed to, and the result is a phenomenally immersive experience. I usually don’t like fantastical scenarios (going to Tolkien’s Middle Earth holds little appeal) but I would love to visit Wright’s Canada.
The editing and music on the film were honestly the best I’d seen in a film that year. Wright’s kinetic montage-style of filmmaking had been a high point of his previous two movies, but here was the first time he seemed totally at ease with his own storytelling ability. It was the same effective, short-hand repetition Darren Aronofsky had used in Requiem for a Dream, but here it was fun and it worked. More, it hit me in a sweet spot: its video game references were all of the late 80s and early 90s 8-bit and 16-bit systems like Super Mario Bros., games I spent thousands of hours playing in my youth.
The film’s saturated color palette, the comic book-style words that filled the frame, the soundtrack and score, every element came together in Scott Pilgrim to create an incredibly fun movie experience.
Scott gets a life.
But there was more to this movie than just a good time — it was also a romantic comedy. The primary plot surrounds Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), his crush on Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and their courtship. In order for them to date, though, Scott had to engage Ramona’s “Seven Evil Exes” in battle.
The trailers told me that was the setup for the film, but the focus had been on the fights and the comedy. I had no idea that the movie would be so deep on the romance.
The film is virtually a love quadrangle: Scott starts the film dating underage Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), a girl so infatuated with him that she practically seems like a groupie for Scott’s band, Sex Bob-omb. Scott is a very passive character so he can’t bring himself to break up with Knives until he is certain things are going well with Ramona.
Then, in the background, is Sex Bob-omb drummer Kim Pine (Alison Pill), Scott’s ex-girlfriend who seems fed-up with her bandmate’s immature relationships.
This wasn’t your standard rom-com where everything is clean-cut and neat — there were messy relationships at work. In this magical land of Canada real emotions and moral dilemmas were being had. Were Scott’s actions right, or was he wrong for dating Ramona while still going with Knives? Did I want to see Scott with Ramona?
Yes, Scott was infatuated with Ramona; she was the princess in the castle and Scott was the video-game hero who had to rescue her. He didn’t just have to court her; he had to fight for her. Literally. Ramona has had seven romances in her life and Scott must defeat each one.
First, this is an awesomely delivered metaphor for any new romantic relationship. When two adults start to date each brings with them the wounds of heartbreak and the baggage of previous boyfriends and girlfriends. New love often is accompanied by hesitation and a degree of paranoia; will this person try to control me like my last girlfriend did? Will he cheat on me like my previous boyfriend?
In real life those “evil exes” are simply previous loves lost, and a new suitor must battle it by earning trust and proving themselves better than those who came before. But that’s the real world; in Wright’s fantasy-land of Canada these evil exes have to be fought Mortal Kombat-style… to the death. It’s a storytelling conceit that is fun but also drives home that Ramona carries some serious baggage.
Scott arms himself for battle.
Wright has perfect casting in the film, with Cera a particular highlight. I first encountered the actor in Superbad and then caught up on his breakthrough television role of George Michael Bluth on Arrested Development. He carries with him a shy niceness that makes him seem sweet even when making bad decisions. More, he’s thin and wiry, and doesn’t look well-equipped to engage anyone in combat. When Matthew Patel, the first evil ex, appears, it’s easy to think Scott’s ass will be handily kicked.
Yet this is Canada, normal rules of fighting don’t apply. Scott pulls out fighting moves that astound Patel and the audience. While Patel and Scott fight in hand-to-hand combat, no two battles follow the same video game convention. From Rock Band to Tony Hawk Pro Skater, each fight has its own video game analog.
But as Scott battled I started to wonder if he and Ramona really should be together. Ramona was non-committal; she couldn’t even go a few days without changing her hair color, let alone her boyfriend. Even as Scott battles ex after ex, Ramona is not forthcoming about her past — Scott’s every day is a surprise of what’s coming next. More, as each ex arrives Ramona finally reveals to Scott her relationship with that person, and how she broke up with them. It turns out Ramona was always the one to initiate the break-up, she’d never been dumped.
Scott was fighting for Ramona, but I wondered if Ramona would fight equally for Scott. Winstead’s performance is wonderfully reserved, giving me that hesitation. We know Knives would, and does, fight for Scott’s love, but is Ramona the one Scott should end up with? Or will she dump him as she has all seven of her exes?
More, it turned out Scott himself had a history, having been dumped by Natalie “Envy” Adams (Brie Larson) when she became famous with her band The Clash at Demonhead. Scott is as evasive about Envy as Ramona is about any of her exes.
For a movie that was sold as an 8-bit video game fight, I was just as enthralled with the emotional resonance and depth of characterization occurring on-screen.
A fake poster created for the film, featuring Chris Evans’ action hero character.
The actors, from large roles to small, also delivered great performances. Kieran Culkin almost stole the film as Scott’s gay roommate Wallace Wells. Every scene with Culkin is full of quotable dialogue and unexpected humor. Minor roles in the film are stocked with familiar faces, including Rushmore’s Jason Schwartzman as seventh evil ex Gideon Gordon Graves, Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) as a psychic vegan Scott must fight, and Captain America Chris Evans as a skateboarding action movie star. The latter two had both done superhero films I disliked (Routh in Superman, Evans in Fantastic Four), but their performances here won me over and I left the film actually liking both of them. Plus cameos by Thomas Jane (The Punisher) and others always had me going, “I can’t believe he’s in this film too!”
I don’t wish to sound trite, but everyone in this movie was perfect — and that’s a term I don’t use lightly.
That this film didn’t find its audience at the box-office was disappointing. This was a movie I thought everyone should see, and most would enjoy. It had come out of nowhere and became my favorite film of 2010 (with Kick-Ass a very close second).
More, though, I was heartbroken. This was such a great movie and I couldn’t talk about it. That spot on the show had been given up, through my own action. I had said, “You guys go ahead, take this one without me.” Now I can never spend two hours debating the various romantic entanglements, and relishing in the great performances delivered in Scott Pilgrim. Despite putting more than 2,000 words of praise into this article, it will never be as widely disseminated a review as the one you’ll hear on Now Playing Podcast.
I have very few regrets in my podcasting history. Not being on the panel reviewing Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is one of the biggest.
That day I made a vow — I wouldn’t make that mistake again. After Scott Pilgrim there would never again be a Now Playing review I did not co-host. Barring massive illness or injury, I will remain Now Playing’s constant. It is in my blood to discuss film. I love the conversations, even if I don’t always love the film.
Another host approached me when Jakob, Stuart, and I were doing our Steven Spielberg donation retrospective series covering Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and War of the Worlds, asking for a turn on the panel. His argument was, “You don’t even like Close Encounters,” so why would I want to be on the review. The answer was pure and simple — I wanted to be there to say why I didn’t like Close Encounters. I wanted to have that debate with two fans of the film. It’s not just about the movie; it’s about the analysis, the debate, and the conversation. There’s no fun if everyone agrees on everything, having a minority opinion is vital to good debate.
I will always regret not being able to be on a podcast review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but I came out of that knowing how important Now Playing truly is to me. And that is a happy ending.
Tomorrow — 2010!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
The 40 Year-Old-Critic: Iron Man (2008)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
We truly live in the golden age of Marvel movies. In the past six years Marvel Studios (and now Disney) have set the standard for comic-based films, and racked up some of the highest-grossing hits of all time.
This year, the company proved how golden it really is with Guardians of the Galaxy, a film featuring a talking raccoon and his friend, the tree. On paper, that’s laughable. This movie shouldn’t have worked; the concept is so far removed from The Avengers that it conjures up memories of Howard the Duck (who even made a cameo).
But as I sit here typing this, Guardians has the designation of being 2014’s top grossing picture in the U.S.
It’s a wild success story that no one could have predicted — certainly I didn’t — back in 2008 when Marvel Studios released its first film: Iron Man.
As I detailed in my reviews of Superman and Spider-Man 3, I was a Marvel Comics fan in my teen years. At my peak I had several thousand comic books; long boxes stuffed with popular titles like Spider-Man, X-Men, and The Incredible Hulk, as well as Darkhawk, Ravage 2099, and Fantastic Four. Conspicuous perhaps by his absence, I didn’t own a single issue of Iron Man.
The character did make appearances in many comics I owned. Massive crossovers such as Secret Wars prominently featured the Armored Avenger. Yet none of those appearances made me feel like picking up an Iron Man comic. A businessman who pretends to be his own bodyguard in a suit of armor? The concept sounded pretty cheesy. The suit’s design, a garish red and yellow, also was a turnoff. He could fly. He could shoot lasers from his hands. And? Why would I want to read about that?
More, why would I want to see a movie about that?
The arm-chair studio moguls online and in magazines like Entertainment Weekly seemed to agree with me. Phrases like “B-list superhero (at best)” were used to describe Iron Man. It is hard to believe now, but just seven short years ago Iron Man had virtually no name recognition among the common public. Marvel had sold the movie rights to many its most well-known superheroes, including Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine and the X-Men, and those characters had gone on to star in their own pictures. Even other B-listers like Daredevil, Blade, and Ghost Rider had been picked up by other studios. What did Marvel have left?
They had Captain America, a man out-of-time goody-two-shoes. They had Thor, a Norse god that may have been even less well-known in his comic incarnation than Iron Man. They had The Incredible Hulk, who had a good history but a recent box-office disappointment thanks to Ang Lee’s Hulk. And they had Iron Man.
Yet Marvel had a vision. More, they had a plan. They didn’t release one film in 2008, they released two. They let it be known immediately that they were going to do on screen what they had done in their comics: create a shared universe where characters would cross over. The end game was announced before Iron Man was in theaters, Marvel wanted to assemble The Avengers.
I thought it was crazy talk. While, thanks to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings it had become more common to have sequels in production, or even entirely filmed, before the first film was released. Even those seemed risky though, with pundits noting Lord of the Rings could have bankrupted New Line Cinema. Yet here Marvel Studios was going this route for its first features.
Iron Man didn’t excite me, but Marvel’s strategy sure got my attention. It was audacious, it was bold, and it was risky. I admired them before I ever saw a frame of the film.
Even crazier — they hired Robert Downey, Jr. to play Iron Man/Tony Stark. If you’ll recall, in the late 90s and early 2000s, Downey had a fairly toxic reputation in Hollywood. His well-publicized battle with addiction and his prison stints had branded him as unreliable. Worse, he was uninsurable — no company would put up a bond for the actor lest he again be arrested and his filmed scenes became unusable.
Casting Robert Downey, Jr. was a risk, now where would Marvel be without him?
Despite his off-screen troubles, I had always been a fan of Downey. While I’d seen him in Weird Science and Back to School he first really caught my eye as someone to watch in The Pick-Up Artist, a film in which Downey is the only redeeming quality. I followed him for many years with Less Than Zero, Chances Are, Air America, hell I even watched Soapdish because he was in it. But two roles really defined Downey for me: his 1992 Oscar-nominated lead in Chaplin, and his role as a tabloid TV reporter in Natural Born Killers. But the more public his personal troubles became the more I felt he was an actor on the decline. I was really saddened by this — the man could act! From Two Girls and a Guy to U.S. Marshals to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I’d always been captivated by him.
That he was the star of Iron Man had me both worried and excited. On the one hand it seemed like on-the-nose casting — if I knew one thing about the Tony Stark character in comics it was that he was an alcoholic; if most people knew Downey for only one thing it was for his substance abuse problems.
The trailers with the rocking Black Sabbath track, Downey’s quick quips, the great action, and the effects — the film looked better than I expected; better than it deserved to look. Plus, rumors spread like wildfire that the film would include a cameo by Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. boss Nick Fury. By the time Iron Man was released, my curiosity was piqued.
Still, I was more interested in the second of Marvel’s one-two summer punch: The Incredible Hulk. I was a Hulk fan, he was the hero with name recognition; plus it had Edward Norton, an actor I believed was every bit as talented as Downey. But until Hulk came out I thought Iron Man could help me pass the time.
My expectations were low, but I was still there opening night to see Iron Man. I even drove 90 minutes to the closest new-fangled digital projector in the area.
The film, in short, rocked. I never expected to have so much fun in a superhero film. Movies like Blade, X-Men, and Batman Begins had seemed to say there was only one way to make a comic book movie, and that’s deadly serious. Iron Man eschewed that attitude with the flippant irreverence I’d expect from its main character. The movie did have its serious scenes, but the majority of the picture was filled with a kinetic energy and a constant sense of fun. I walked into the theater not getting Iron Man’s appeal; I walked out an Iron Man fan.
This was bolstered by Downey’s now-iconic performance. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His jokes, his charisma, he owned this film. His line, “I am Iron Man,” was 100 percent accurate, for I couldn’t imagine this movie without him. Given the wide range of roles I’ve seen Downey portray I am hesitant to call this his best performance ever, but it is my favorite (with his 2008 follow-up Tropic Thunder a very close second).
Iron Man even brought Now Playing Podcast out of a brief retirement in 2008, and we followed up that short review with an even more extensive breakdown of the film for our Avengers Retrospective Series in 2012.
Yet, despite my love of the movie, I still thought Marvel’s overall strategy was ill-formed. Iron Man did well, Hulk did not. More, the only superhero film people seemed to remember from 2008 was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight — a film that was more than a blockbuster, it was a cultural touchstone.
In 2008 it really seemed Marvel had lost the battle. More, they had no movies planned for 2009. Iron Man was a big enough hit to keep the wheels turning for Iron Man 2 in 2010 but I never thought Marvel could go the distance. Avengers seemed like a pipe dream.
Again, I bet wrong. Iron Man 2 built on the brand in 2010, and the following year saw two more Marvel films, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Both did respectable business, but neither broke the $200 million domestic mark to be qualified as a blockbuster. They didn’t need to; Marvel was playing the long game, they were building a brand.
It paid off — big time. The Avengers took the world by storm. It almost seemed a rematch of Marvel versus DC as, that same year, Nolan returned with The Dark Knight Rises. Iron Man once again faced Batman, but this time Stark brought his friends and when 2012 ended it was The Avengers that had become the benchmark for comic book movies. Sorry, Batman.
Iron Man. He’s poseable!
Marvel Studios’ brazen gambit paid off in spades. Not only has the company become an unstoppable movie juggernaut, they have expanded their cinematic universe to weekly network television, to four different Netflix series’, and even drawn plans for up to three movies per year in the future.
Other studios now desperately try to ape Marvel’s success. After trying for 20 years to get Batman and Superman on screen together, next year finally brings us Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with a list of superheroes that include Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and — according to rumor — Aquaman, the Flash, and others. DC is now playing catch-up to Marvel.
Even other studios with Marvel properties have tried to follow this formula, though to less success. The same year The Avengers was released Sony tried to build its own multi-chapter story with The Amazing Spider-Man. This year they announced that a Spidey universe of films is coming, including two spin-offs featuring villains — Sony is now grasping for whatever characters to which they hold rights. At 20th Century Fox, studio executives also bet big-time on their X-Men franchise, bringing back original director Bryan Singer to revitalize the series. The Marvel Studios tactic of ending each film with a “stinger” to tease the next picture is now so commonplace, audience members are afraid to leave the theater before the end credits are finished.
Yes, for the past 6 years movies have been following Marvel Studios’ formula. It all started with a big gamble that paid off: Iron Man.
As for me, Iron Man opened a door that had been cracked the year before with Spider-Man 3. The Marvel movies were really an exciting property to follow. My dormant comic fandom was back with a vengeance. Marjorie, knowing my love of Iron Man, bought me my first high-end Marvel collectibles: a Hot Toys “Mech Test” Tony Stark figure, as well as a Kotobukiya Iron Man statue. The door was opened and before long the podcast Marvelicious Toys was launched as a companion piece to Star Wars Action News, focusing specifically on Marvel collecting.
More, Marvel Studios’ films had me wanting to build up to The Avengers. Now Playing Podcast had been following, almost exclusively, the retrospective format in 2009 and 2010, but after seeing Iron Man 2 I pitched to co-hosts Stuart and Jakob the craziest, biggest retrospective yet: every Marvel movie ever. Up until then our series’ had all been of manageable length of a dozen films or less. It took a year of discussion. First, Stuart thought we should only do the six Marvel Studios films. Then he thought we should do the major franchises. Finally he agreed to all theatrical films, and we had started Now Playing’s Complete Marvel Movie Retrospective. Over time I was even able to find a back door — several 1970s TV movies had aired in theaters in foreign countries.
It put Now Playing on a path to greater success, as described in my review of Howard the Duck — our first review in that very long series.
Yet while I still ride the high Iron Man gave me in 2008, bolstered regularly by a new “fix” from Marvel Studios, I do wonder how long this will last. Movies are defined by trends; after Star Wars every studio fast-tracked their space films, but by the mid-80’s those had become passé; after Gremlins any script with tiny attackers, from Ghoulies to Critters was given the green light. The cases of Hollywood me-too-ism are legion, but they all have one thing in common: they end when the next big thing comes along.
I often ruminate on what that next trend will be, and when audiences will tire of the serialized cinema storytelling and prefer movies that provide a singular experience with no “to be continued…” at the end. I have no doubt that day will come, but I think we’re in for many more years of the Marvel Age of cinema before we get there.
Tomorrow — 2009!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
The 40 Year-Old-Critic: Spider-Man 3 (2007)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
See a list of all reviews
Earlier this week, when I discussed Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, I described how I tend to channel my excitement into creative venues. I’ve been doing it my whole life, whether that meant writing fan fiction, building model kits, customizing action figures — the point is, I like to build upon my imagination. In 2005 that drive led to the creation of the Star Wars Action News podcast.
Two years later, a near-equal level of excitement gave birth to an even larger idea that became Now Playing Podcast. The excitement was for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3; the first film Now Playing ever reviewed.
I had been a longtime Spider-Man fan, from the 1970s Spidey Super Stories on The Electric Company to Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and even Stan Lee’s daily The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strips, but even I didn’t anticipate my own hype for this sequel. I barely caught the first Spider-Man film in theaters (its release in 2002, directly against Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and my wedding, was much of the reason). I was more excited for 2004’s Spider-Man 2, but I wouldn’t say I was “hyped.”
But the bug bit me in 2007 — Venom had gotten into my system.
I started reading comics in 1990. I never got into them as a child; I simply wasn’t exposed to comics through friends or media. My Star Trek fandom drew me into the comics culture, because I wanted to read the “official” stories taking place after the events of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The first time I stepped into a comics shop the clerk tried to sell me Spider-Man No. 1, from the highly-acclaimed Todd McFarlane series.
This tease ignited the fanboy in me.
I passed. I always thought the comics were just color reprints of the daily newspaper strip, until my longtime friend and Now Playing co-host Stuart started telling me stories about how Spider-Man changed his costume to one that was black-and-white. Incredulous, I didn’t believe him, especially when he told me the suit turned out to be an evil alien. In response, and to prove his point, he pointed me to a comic book store. I went back to read many of McFarlane’s Amazing Spider-Man back issues. Of specific interest were the stories that involved Venom, a muscle-bound baddie named Eddie Brock with whom the alien suit had bonded. Venom had all of Spider-Man’s powers, but none of his responsibility.
For years I read every Spider-Man comic, but I anticipated none as much as those that starred Venom. When Brock went from villain to anti-hero in his own series, Venom: Lethal Protector, I was even happier; I could now read about him every month!
I honestly wonder if I liked Venom even more than Spider-Man himself.
As a fan I read rumors about a big-screen adaptation of Spider-Man, but it languished in development hell for more than a decade. I remember reading a Wizard Magazine in 1992 that teased a James Cameron directed Spider-Man film starring Charlie Sheen as Peter Parker and using Terminator 2 special effects for the villain — Venom! I couldn’t have been more excited but, alas, that film never materialized. When Spider-Man did hit theaters in 2002 Sheen, Cameron, and Venom weren’t even under consideration.
Finally, after enjoying two Spider-Man films in theaters (as you can hear in the Now Playing Podcast Spider-Man Retrospective Series), word came that Raimi was finally getting to my favorite Spidey nemesis.
Venom was first teased at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. I wasn’t in the Sony panel, but friends excitedly described the scene of alien ooze landing on Eddie Brock (Topher Grace). That the scene took place in a church really upped my expectations — Raimi had been pretty loyal to the Spider-Man mythos thus far, and despite casting the wiry Grace as the muscle-bound Brock, it seemed he was continuing that trend with Venom.
I’d seen the black outfit take Peter Parker to dark places in the comic…but never as dark as Maguire’s uncomfortable dance scene.
Venom, Raimi, and Spider-Man created a perfect storm of hype.
I am a collector by nature, and often I express my fandom through displays of movie memorabilia. It all started with my Star Wars toys in 1977, but from Superman to Gremlins to Ghostbusters to Star Trek, I’d always buy the trading cards, toys, and books for films I loved. Of course, Star Wars remained my primary focus — I bought every figure, vehicle, book, and game released.
By the year 2000 my townhouse was a crowded toy box, full of Star Wars toys, but also X-Men movie figures, Spider-Man toys, McFarlane Toys’ Movie Maniacs series’ Leatherface, Freddy, and many more. But in 2001 I quit my job and became a full-time student, and with that drastic reduction in income came a drastic reduction in collecting. I actually sold most of my toys and narrowed my focus down to my first love — Star Wars. Even as my career started to take off, my income increasing, I was never tempted to return to collecting anything but Star Wars until Spider-Man 3.
By 2007, Star Wars Action News was heard by tens of thousands of listeners every month, and hundreds congregated on our forums to discuss the toys. Surprisingly, many of those fans were also swept up in the excitement to see Raimi’s next Spider-Man film. When I mentioned on the podcast that I was drawn to — but couldn’t allow myself to buy — a particularly cool Venom figure sold by Sideshow Collectibles, these listeners came to the forums en masse to encourage my spending! Some even tried to take up a collection to buy the $80 figure for me; an act of generosity I could not possibly accept.
The flames of my Spider-Man 3 excitement were fanned by Star Wars Action News listeners, and that combination caused me to move on an idea I’d had for some time: a movie review podcast. The first movie we’d review would be Spider-Man 3, obviously.
It wouldn’t be a stretch, my wife (and co-host) Marjorie and I had already reviewed one movie together, Snakes on a Plane, the year before.
Coincidentally, another Marvel character first planted the seeds in my head that I should launch this show. Coming out of 2007’s Ghost Rider Marjorie had me almost doubled over with laughter as she lambasted the Nicolas Cage film. Not only were her observations on point, they were quite amusing. I knew many of our listeners loved Marjorie’s color commentary, and I thought that if I’d had a microphone on us walking out of Ghost Rider we’d break download records.
Despite the film’s numerous flaws, the CGI work on Sandman was impressive, and moving.
But I was daunted. Movie review podcasts were a dime a dozen. Anyone with a microphone seemed to be reviewing movies. With Star Wars Action News we’d made a big splash in the Star Wars community — a big fish in a tiny pond. Yet, even with that success I knew that we’d be out of our comfortable pond and thrust into an ocean of movie podcasts. I wasn’t sure how to make us stand out, and so I never acted on it.
More, SWAN had gone from a one-day-per-week hobby to a very time-consuming new career. Two hours of recording became 10 hours of editing, and then toy photography and travel — suddenly I was spending more time on podcasting than I was on teaching my college courses. Plus, teaching was my second job; I also had a full-time day job. With all of these commitments the thought of doing another podcast regularly was overwhelming.
Still, the seed had been planted, and my excitement for Spider-Man 3 turned it into action. Marjorie came up with the name, taken directly from the screen of her iPod that always said at the top, Now Playing.
It’s laughable now as I spend 30 or more hours per week on the show, but I originally thought Now Playing Podcast wouldn’t take much time. I figured we’d stick to my first idea and take the portable recorder (the one I’d purchased for the Samuel L. Jackson interview) to the theater and when the movie was over I’d have a microphone to capture our initial reaction. Marjorie and I went to the movies nearly every week, so we could have a spoiler-free review with just a few minutes of recording. I’d release it unedited, just add music, and be done.
As for the way to differentiate ourselves from the thousands of other podcasts? That would take me a couple more years to really figure out. In the meantime we had Marjorie and a built in audience for Star Wars Action News.
Deciding to launch Now Playing on the same day as Spider-Man 3’s release had two profound effects. First, my excitement for the next Spidey film had an outlet that didn’t involve buying collectibles. I was preparing our own launch of a podcast, so my time and money was spent getting domain names and setting up web pages (Though I was visiting Burger King more than usual to get their Spider-Man 3 kid’s meal toys — the Venom still eluded me).
Second, the anticipation for May 4, 2007 increased 50-fold — that was the day I’d get to watch Spider-Man and we’d launch our newest podcast!
My excitement level was so high we actually took that afternoon off work. There were no midnight shows, but we were there for the first matinee of the day. It was time to see Venom fight Spider-Man, and classic Spider-Man bad guy Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) would be in there somewhere as well.
In my mind I felt I knew how the movie would be paced. The trailers had shown Spider-Man fighting Sandman while wearing his black suit. I thought for certain it would follow the structure of the original film, with the first half largely about the origin story, only this time it would be the origin of the black suit (again with Sandman in there somewhere). Then, I assumed the second half of the picture would be about our hero battling his arch-nemesis, only this time instead of Green Goblin it would be Venom.
The more I heard about Sandman being the main baddie in this film, though, I started to form a back-up theory. The trailers never showed Venom outside of the church, so I thought this entire film could be a setup for Venom, who would return as the main bad guy in Spider-Man 4.
No matter what, in Raimi I trusted. From Evil Dead to Army of Darkness, Darkman, and more, he had proven time and again to be a director with style and vision (that late 90s period including For the Love of the Game notwithstanding).
We got to theater early, after an obligatory trip to Burger King to try and get that damn Venom toy. No luck.
I can still remember being so excited I was practically vibrating in my seat. The film started, the score played over an opening credits montage reminding us of the first two films. Little did I know this would be the high point of the movie for me — thinking of the earlier, better films.
The introduction of the alien symbiote that became Spider-Man’s black suit was the opening scene, and completely convenient. It just happened to land near Peter Parker and take him over. No reason why, it just happened.
Faith was restored with the introduction of Sandman, Church having bulked up for the role and really looking like the comic book character come to life. The CGI effects during his transformation marked a new standard for humanity conveyed by computer animation.
But that was quickly lost by the contrived retcon tying Sandman to the death of Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben, and a subplot involving Peter Parker’s love life.
I won’t rehash the entire review again. You can hear our full, detailed, scene by scene review in the Now Playing Podcast archives. The disappointment you’ll hear in my voice mirrors my thoughts sitting in that theater. During that theatrical experience I realized not only was I watching a movie that was not very good, but that Now Playing’s first review would not be very positive. I had hoped for the show to be a celebration of Raimi’s film — the orgasmic climax after five years of build-up. Instead, we would have to be honest and discuss how everything — from the plot to the acting to the score — was not only far below my expectations, but also not very good at all.
No matter the quality of the movie, Now Playing Podcast had arrived. Star Wars Action News listeners and forum members were anxiously awaiting the review. So we went to the car and, raw from the experience, recorded our thoughts. We sat in the car, Spider-Man toys from BK in the back seat, and gave our initial reactions. I tried to temper my disappointment, but when I listen to that show I can hear the sound of a heart breaking.
In the years since I’ve come to focus on some of the better parts of the movie. The effects are mostly top notch, Topher Grace adds needed energy to the cast, and some of the jokes are winners. With the dour nature of The Amazing Spider-Man reboots, I even sometimes finding myself actually wishing for some of the spirit Raimi put in all of his films… even Spider-Man 3.
The tangled web that is Peter Parker’s love life would never straighten out; after Spider-Man 3 Sony decided to reboot without Raimi at the helm.
Yet from that bad movie experience something good did come — Now Playing. It would take years for me to realize that. Despite my best intentions, the show went from being recorded on the run to being done in the studio; it went from unedited to lightly edited to full edits. The time commitment was growing, and the listenership wasn’t. We were now one very tiny fish in an ocean so overpopulated that most shows suffered from listener famine. Without listener involvement the show became neglected, and the fewer shows we did the fewer listeners we had when we would put out new reviews. For a while we even gave up hosting altogether.
It wasn’t until 2009 when another movie, another hype machine, got me going: the Platinum Dunes remake of Friday the 13th. Then I had the idea of the Retrospective Series and a three-person rotating cast of hosts. The hype for that movie also ended in disappointment, but we had finally found the format that made our show stand out.
Today Now Playing is a regular show in iTunes’ Top 10. I’ve met hundreds of listeners in person and talked to thousands through social media. Each person with whom I interact is an experience I cherish, and it’s stunning to think none of this would have happened if it weren’t for Spider-Man 3.
And as for my resistance to collecting Marvel, Spider-Man 3 helped me stave that off… for a couple more years at least. As anyone who’s heard my Marvel collecting podcast, Marvelicious Toys, knows, I have now fully embraced it and enjoy it as a smaller side-collection to my primary Star Wars collecting.
Tomorrow — 2008!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
The 40 Year-Old-Critic: Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
How many times will I review Freddy vs. Jason? It was one of Now Playing Podcast’s earliest reviews as part of our first retrospective series covering the Friday the 13th franchise leading up to the 2009 remake. Even then we planned to revisit the film and look at it from Freddy’s point of view, which we did the following year during the review series leading up to 2010’s A Nightmare on Elm Street.
By now this should be well-trod ground, and what more could I have to say?
Yet the fact that this is the only movie to be covered twice in Now Playing Podcast retrospectives is indicative of its importance — to film in general and to me personally.
Since our 2010 review I’ve spent a lot more time thinking about the crossover. What is it about two franchises coming together that creates such excitement, especially in the “geek” community? I don’t ask this hypothetically. I personally get swept up in the frenzy when two franchises come together, and it doesn’t even matter necessarily if I like them both! The thought of two universes colliding seems to have a geometric, not additive, increase in interest.
I think to some degree it is fan rivalry at its best. For reasons I don’t understand it seems some fans feel the only way to feel good about their fandom is by putting down others. For example, when Firefly was at its zenith a parade of “Joss Whedon Is My Master Now” shirts filled Star Wars conventions, as if to say, “Star Wars used to be cool.” As such, the “my dad can beat up your dad” mentality started to apply to fan groups; “My stormtrooper can beat up your browncoat.”
Freddy vs. Jason — whoever loses, the fans win.
That question of who would win in a fight certainly applies to superheroes. In real life, on screen, and online I’ve heard endless debates about which hero is faster, The Flash or Superman. Who would win in a fight, Superman or The Hulk? It is a curiosity, but the chosen winner usually aligns with the speaker’s fan allegiances.
Certainly, speaking of superheroes, comic books have benefited greatly from the crossover. DC Comics had a major hit with its Justice League in 1961, prompting Marvel Comics to respond with its own super team, The Fantastic Four, a move that inadvertently launched the entire Marvel Universe.
Yet, to me, the crossover seemed relegated to just that medium — the comic book. It seemed comics were pulp enough that you could do anything.
Aliens vs. Predator? Sure.
Robocop vs. Terminator? Why not.
Star Trek and X-Men together, you say? Absolutely.
Even rivals Marvel and DC had several crossover series’ that, for instance, led to Superman meeting Spider-Man or Batman fighting the Hulk.
Despite the success and excitement generated by these crossover comics, the concept was rarely conceptualized on film. Universal Studios had done it in the 1940s, when horror icons Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man came together for the studio’s “Monster Mash” pictures. But Universal owned each property, and when that series ended, crossovers on screen were scarce.
I can recall two that made an impact on me.
Freddy and Jason aren’t the only names in this cast. Monica Keena (Dawson’s Creek), Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps), and Destiny Child’s Kelly Rowland play teens caught in the middle of the battle royale.
I remember being a young child on vacation with my parents when I saw a trailer for King Kong vs. Godzilla. I had seen numerous Godzilla films, and the 1976 King Kong several times. So the thought of them fighting broke my fragile little mind. I demanded we stay in the hotel room that night so I could watch.
Then, in 1988, Who Framed Roger Rabbit brought together animated characters from Warner Bros., Disney, Turner Entertainment, and more. As I was a teenager, and never really into these characters at my youngest age, the impact was totally lost on me. I saw the film in theaters, thought it was mediocre, and haven’t seen it since.
Beyond those two I can’t think of any groundbreaking crossovers. Some minor ones occurred; such as Star Trek: Generations bringing together cast members from two Trek television series’ (something that had already been done numerous times on Star Trek: The Next Generation, thus lessening the film’s impact). Also, The Monster Squad reassembled the classic Universal Monsters for a kiddie comedy.
But fans wanted more.
So many ideas were teased. Studios knew what we liked, so 1997’s Batman and Robin made sly references to Superman, and 20th Century Fox put an Alien xenomorph skull on a Predator ship in Predator 2. The latter seemed most likely to happen again on film — both franchises were Fox properties in need of a boost. Yet, outside of the Dark Horse comics, nothing materialized for years.
The icons try out each others’ weapons.
For me, though, more than Aliens and Predators, more than Superman and Batman, Freddy and Jason were the two I wanted to see. Long had the rumor brewed about Hollywood’s (then) top-grossing slashers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, going toe-to-toe. I read about it in multiple Fangoria articles in the late 80s and early 90s.
I first saw A Nightmare on Elm Street during a party in 1987, around the time of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors’ release. I found the films so inventive and fun that I rewatched them endlessly, and anxiously awaited each new installment in the series. As detailed during the Now Playing Podcast review, I even cosplayed for the release of Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. By 2003 I was happy for any new Nightmare, let alone one that pitted villain Freddy against Friday the 13th icon Jason.
I was never as big a fan of the Crystal Lake zombie as I was Freddy, but I did also enjoy the Friday the 13th series. Some of the first R-rated horror I ever saw was Friday the 13th when I came home to find older kids in my house watching it. I tried to join them but the carnage, specifically the decapitation at the end of the 1980 original film, had me fleeing the room. When I finally became a full-fledged horror hound in my early teen years I returned to the franchise when Jason Takes Manhattan was released. While the films lacked the visual panache of the Nightmare series I still enjoyed the films as a guilty pleasure. Over time the series grew in my esteem to be another favorite.
Freddy was killed by fire, but flames don’t slow down Jason.
As such, having both serialized slashers come together would be a dream come true. Or, if done wrong, perhaps a nightmare.
Yet despite the rumors in the horror press and the anticipation by fans such as myself, the killer crossover took 15 years to materialize. Full credit for finally bringing the crossover to screen in the 21st Century must be given to New Line Cinema.
The biggest problem in the 1980s and 1990s was the rights: Jason was owned by Paramount, Freddy was New Line Cinema’s cash cow. The studios tried to work together during the slasher heyday but each wanted to earn 100 percent of the profits by licensing the other’s character. Obviously, that never happened.
Eventually, though, profits started to dry up. Paramount had run Friday the 13th into the ground with crazy concepts like Jason fighting a telekinetic or taking Manhattan. When original Friday creator Sean S. Cunningham wanted to see the franchise continue, specifically with a Freddy crossover, Paramount had no interest. This gave New Line an opportunity. They licensed Jason from Paramount and went to work on Freddy vs. Jason.
While Jason’s creator wanted the crossover, Freddy creator Wes Craven had other ideas. The Springwood Slasher had been given what New Line considered a proper sendoff with 1991’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. But the sequel proved profitable and Craven started planning a return to his iconic franchise. As such, Freddy vs. Jason was put on hold and, instead, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare was made.
Cunningham bided his time, though. In 1993 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday was released and ended with a fan-baiting stinger; Freddy’s glove comes out of the ground and pulls down Jason’s mask. The game was afoot!
We would still have to wait more than a decade for Freddy and Jason to properly share the screen. New Line executives knew the importance of finding the perfect balance between the two famous killers, and so more than a dozen pitches were drafted and subsequently rejected.
More victims caught in the middle of the killer clash.
Eventually I gave up all hope on Freddy vs. Jason. Nightmare star Robert Englund had not put on the makeup in almost 10 years and I thought Freddy would never grace the screen again. Jason, meanwhile, had gone to space with Jason X (which sat on a shelf for 2 years before its release). Finally, in the early part of the last decade, news — real news — started to come out that the movie was being made.
I honestly believe my excitement for Freddy vs. Jason was on par with my feelings about 1999’s Star Wars Episode I. A countdown clock sat on my computer desktop for 4 months, and when the day finally came I took an afternoon off work to see the first showing.
It met my every expectation.
Directed by Bride of Chucky’s Ronny Yu, the film was outrageous, gory, and over-the-top fun. Both characters got their due (even if Jason inexplicably was suddenly afraid of water) and I couldn’t have asked for more. You can hear a blow-by-blow analysis and both of my reviews at the Now Playing Podcast website, but in short I gave it a strong recommend both times.
Yet loving a movie isn’t enough to garner inclusion in this 40-Year-Old Critic series, there has to be a long-lasting impact. For Freddy vs. Jason, there were two.
First, this film gave Robert Englund a proper Freddy sendoff. It was the best film starring the dream stalker since 1988’s The Dream Master. It cemented a positive feeling for the Nightmare franchise that remains unsullied to this day. Just two weeks ago I had my photo taken with Englund, who was dressed in the full Freddy make-up. I even have ideas for a Nightmare inspired tattoo–the dream killer’s glove slicing into my skin.
Freddy vs. Arnie — Robert Englund and Arnie pose for a photo at Flashback Weekends in Aug. 2014
Second, though, Freddy vs. Jason’s success launched more than a decade of franchise crossovers. The next year finally saw the release of Alien vs. Predator, which I anticipated every bit as much as Freddy vs. Jason — and which was an utter letdown.
Other pictures released that year include the low-rent, made-for-television crossover Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys (co-written by Blade and The Dark Knight scribe David Goyer), as well as a return to the “Monster Mash” formula with Universal’s Van Helsing.
Yes, the track record for crossovers wasn’t stellar, but that was honestly my secondary concern — the primary concern was that they were happening. Finally, after decades of teasing, universes were being shared and the world of movies suddenly felt as open as the page of a comic book. But, after 2007’s Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem a shot of adrenaline was needed. I do think the crossover was starting to be seen as desperate, until Marvel Studios took it to the next level.
In 2008 Marvel released its first movie produced in-house: Iron Man. The film stood alone, introducing wide audiences to a superhero that was considered B-list at best. Yet Marvel took a page from New Line Cinema’s book: at the very end Nick Fury showed up to discuss “The Avengers Initiative.” This was the comic book equivalent of Freddy’s hand bursting up from the ground, and Marvel kept its momentum building toward the third-highest-grossing film of all time: The Avengers.
There is a direct lineage from Jason Goes to Hell to Iron Man, from Freddy vs. Jason to The Avengers.
So next spring when you buy your ticket for The Avengers: Age of Ultron (and then download the Now Playing Podcast review) think about the trailblazer that pioneered the modern crossover film: Freddy vs. Jason.
Tomorrow — 2004!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
New Podcast: Issue 124: I Am Electro Head
Marvel movies have had one of their best years ever in 2014. The X-Men were back with a vengeance in Days of Future Past. Captain America’s second film proved better than his first as he fought HYDRA and The Winter Soldier. A new franchise was launched, and now Guardians of the Galaxy is poised to become the year’s top-grossing film. Even The Amazing Spider-Man 2 brought in fans with its high action and final twist.
On this issue of the Marvelicious Toys podcast Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie give their thoughts on Guardians, from a dancing baby Groot to a mechanical arm! Plus they run down all the Amazing Spider-Man 2 exclusive releases, and the upcoming exclusives for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Also on this show, Marjorie and Arnie went to Wizard World Chicago where Marjorie met Winter Soldier stars Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, plus Stan Lee, Dave Bautista, and others. Watch to find out about the artists, celebrities, and toys found at the con!
With a look at new Marvel Legends figures hitting stores, new Hot Toys and Sideshow statues up for pre-order, and more, it’s all in this new Marvelicious Toys!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT124.MP3
Category: Arts
40 Year-Old-Critic: Chasing Amy (1997)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
Kevin Smith is a polarizing figure in cinema. The director certainly has his legion of fans, and having attended several conventions with Smith as a featured guest, it seems those fans are mostly male, mostly under 30, and very willing to connect with his characters; lovable losers such as Clerks’ Randall and Dante (Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson, respectively).
I am not in Smith’s camp, and on Now Playing Podcast I have repeatedly expressed my disdain for his body of work.
Yet allow me in this entry of The 40-Year-Old Critic to praise Smith’s best film, 1997’s Chasing Amy.
Amy (as some fans refer to it) was Smith’s third picture. The director was a Sundance phenom with his black-and-white debut (the aforementioned Clerks) in 1994. It did well in theaters and truly found its audience on video — an audience that included me. Thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs, I was paying more attention to indie films, especially those heavily promoted by Miramax. As such, I saw Clerks on VHS and enjoyed it.
As I mentioned in my review of Leaving Las Vegas, around this time in my life I was underemployed and frustrated with my lack of career options, so I related heavily to Dante in Clerks. Plus, I was enraptured by the raunchy jokes. Smith raised the bar on profanity with language that originally earned his film an NC-17 rating. As I did with Beverly Hills Cop before it, I laughed loud and hard at Clerks’ envelope-pushing comedy.
Smith parlayed that success into a studio picture, 1995’s Mallrats. The director spent $6 million of Universal Studios’ money on a movie that barely made one-third that amount. Even as a fan of Clerks I thought Mallrats was too cartoonish, too broad. With new lead duo Brodie Bruce and T.S. Quint (Jason Lee and Jeremy London, respectively), Mallrats tried to replicate the bromance of Clerks in a way that felt forced. More, it seemed Smith’s signature characters of Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith himself) would not work in color.
Mallrats would not be Smith’s last failure, but it may be his most fortuitous. First, it established his relationship with Ben Affleck, who had a minor role. Second, after Mallrats Smith returned to his “comfort zone” of small, indie filmmaking. On a $250,000 budget — extraordinarily low but still 10 times that of Clerks — Smith wrote and directed Chasing Amy.
By 1997 I was fully indoctrinated into the Cult of Kevin — as rabid a fanboy as any he’s had. I participated in his online message boards and I watched his first two films regularly (and convinced myself Mallrats wasn’t that bad… it is). Whatever Smith made next I would see. Yet the plot of Chasing Amy I found particularly interesting.
Alyssa (Adams) literally comes between Holden and Banky in this scene.
The film centers around two young independent comic book creators, Holden McNeil (Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Mallrats’ Jason Lee). The best friends find their relationship strained when Holden begins a romance with lesbian comic creator Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams; Smith’s then-girlfriend), spurring jealousy in Banky.
To me, the film seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon of “queer cinema” which had started to gain steam in the mid 90s. While mainstream Hollywood acknowledged gay characters in movies like Philadelphia and The Birdcage, it was really indie films that brought them to the fore, with such groundbreaking fare as My Own Private Idaho, The Crying Game, and Kiss Me, Guido.
Specifically, I saw in Chasing Amy echoes of Guinevere Turner’s Go Fish — a film Smith acknowledges as inspiration. Sexual preference felt like an exciting new frontier for films to tackle and, having seen all the ones I just mentioned, I likely would have seen Amy even with a complete unknown behind the camera.
I was actually a bit nervous to see Smith tackling LGBT topics. This was a straight man with a penchant for raunchy humor. In Clerks, for example, lead character Dante slut-shamed and dumped his girlfriend after finding out her sexual history. I wondered if Smith would use Alyssa’s sexuality as a source of humor, or to titillate his built-in male audience.
I was happily wrong. Chasing Amy is an exquisite balance of comedy and drama. The start of the film is right in line with Clerks’ humor, as militant black comic creator Hooper X (Dwight Ewell) dissects the racist undertones of the Star Wars trilogy. It was great fun, like a geeky twist on Tarantino’s Like a Virgin deconstruction in Reservoir Dogs. But the humor is nuanced. It’s quickly revealed that not only is Hooper’s rage an act to sell his comics, but he is also a closeted gay male and close friend of Banky and Holden.
As Holden and Banky, Affleck and Lee created a genuine on-screen friendship. It was one my friends and I related to…until the final twist.
The latter two characters would be familiar to Smith, and not just because both Affleck and Lee appeared in Mallrats. In Clerks, Mallrats, and again here, Smith features the same central duo: immature twenty-something white males with potty mouths. The primary character is more serious, contemplative, semi-neurotic, and dealing with relationship issues. The sidekick is wacky, always given the movie’s funniest lines, but given short shrift in the plot. Here, Holden was our Dante/Quint, and Banky was our Randall/Brodie. The jokes were raunchy and familiar, and the laughs hit hard.
More, Smith seems to know his audience. Any homophobes in the theater get their say through Lee, who spouts gay slurs and stereotypes throughout the film. Featuring gay characters in a positive light, and having Banky spout ignorance, was a subtle way of Smith attempting to educate a more narrow-minded contingent of fans.
Chasing Amy slowly changes tone, though. While all of Smith’s films had dealt with romantic relationships, none had been a romance film. Amy becomes that as Holden befriends unobtainable Alyssa. Their friendship is tinged with longing, and not just on Holden’s side — Alyssa’s feelings for a man make her question her own sexual identity. The scene where Holden confesses his feelings, followed by a rain-soaked argument, is moving and engrossing. There is barely a laugh to be had, and shows a maturity not before seen in a Kevin Smith film.
The film takes continued twists and turns, and jokes keep coming, but Smith had sharpened his humor into a blade, using it to cut the tension of many tense, dramatic scenes. The audience, engrossed in this tumultuous relationship full of self-doubt, would find their laughter a welcome release — the film allowing us to breathe again.
This kiss in the rain was Alyssa finally giving into her feelings for Holden. In most films that would be the end, but here it’s only the beginning of a journey full of self-doubt and jealousy.
While the romantic comedy fan in me was enjoying the Holden/Alyssa relationship, I was also empathizing greatly with Lee’s Banky. I was in my mid-20s and I had lost many friends to their girlfriends. I was all-too-familiar with the pattern of friends who hang out when they’re single, and then don’t return your calls when in a relationship. I saw Banky losing his lifelong friend to a new relationship, and, for the first time ever in a Smith film, I felt bad for the sidekick. Smith had finally created a supporting character with his own arc.
Holden and Alyssa’s relationship eventually hits the rocks when Holden finds out Alyssa was not always gay. The climax (so to speak) comes when Holden, desperate to save his friendship and his relationship, proposes a three-way to both Alyssa and Banky.
That was where the film took things too far. Until that point I felt Smith’s film had portrayed characters acting in ways that felt honest. This twist seemed to be the writer/director choosing to go with a wacky ending over a heartfelt one, or maybe he just wrote himself into a corner and couldn’t find a more earnest resolution.
The group sex idea felt totally outside the realm of Holden’s character. More, that Banky agreed, seemed to me a full character betrayal. I had completely understood Banky’s disappointment with a friend ditching him for a new relationship — it’s a real, common occurrence among single male friends. That Smith chose to write that entire emotion as based in latent homosexuality felt like a missed opportunity — an honest look at friendship was undermined by turning one character into a stereotypical gay male predator.
The film does recover from that moment, with an ambiguous ending that reminded me of The Graduate. Despite my disappointment with the final twist, the movie overall remained an on-screen romance that came across as honest and real. I left the theater entertained and believing Smith would be the next great voice of cinema.
Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) appear in Amy, breaking the mood of the film.
He tried. His follow-up film, Dogma, attempted to analyze religion the way Amy deconstructed relationships, but to lesser effect. While amusing, the picture is scattered and scatological.
But it was with his next effort, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, that I realized Smith was not an auteur with things to say, but a writer of increasingly insipid comedy. I first saw Smith speak at a convention in 2001, followed by a preview screening of Strike Back, and I realized he was a more amusing speaker than filmmaker.
History would prove that assumption true, as Smith is now an accomplished podcaster, while the best thing I can say about his post-Strike Back films is that there aren’t many of them.
I have seen all of Smith’s directorial efforts, always hoping to see even a hint of the filmmaker that made Chasing Amy. But from Jersey Girl to Zack and Miri Make a Porno to Cop Out and even Red State, Smith has become a serviceable, but completely unexceptional, director of (mostly unfunny) comedies. I would characterize Smith’s later directing work as on par with Tom Shadyac or Steve Carr. If you don’t know those names, you can look them up, but had Smith not been an indie darling in the mid 90s I don’t think you’d know his name either.
I don’t mean that to say Smith is a one-film-wonder, still coasting on Clerks, because I have gone back and watched his directorial debut — it doesn’t hold up. Jokes that pushed the envelope in 1994 now seem almost tame. More, Clerks is less a film than it is a series of sketches loosely tied together. I loved it when I was the characters’ age and related to their Generation X angst, but it is a movie with limited appeal that is quickly outgrown.
I had hoped that after Cop Out’s critical drubbing Smith might — as he did after Mallrats’ failure — return to his roots and make more personal films. That hasn’t happened. While he has done more low-budget films, such as Red State, it appears the filmmaker who made Chasing Amy is gone forever.
It is a shame. With Chasing Amy Smith showed himself to be a talented writer who could balance both comedy and drama with equal measure. It remains a go-to film when I want to laugh, one of the most honest romances caught on screen, and a progressive view of LGBT characters in cinema. Yet it’s the only Kevin Smith film I can recommend.
Tomorrow — 1998!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XXXVI – Peacemaker
Tony Stark is going to keep the peace with this new armor — the Iron Man Mark XXXVI, Peacemaker Armor!
Now, I know what you’re asking: was this even in Iron Man 3? Well, per the Iron Man Wiki, yes! It is in the bottom right corner of this picture:
I mean, with such a screen presence, how is your Hot Toys collection complete without The Peacemaker?
I kid a little, but obviously there is no way to sell any fan or collector on The Peacemaker armor. For selective Hot Toys figure fans, this one may be easily skipped. For Iron Man fans and Hot Toys completists then this is a must.
Still, significance aside, Hot Toys has produced another great figure. This armor is an addition to their highly detailed, excessively articulated Movie Masterpiece Series, not a Power Pose Series figure. So you’re getting the usual, amazing Hot Toys sculpt standing almost 13.5-inches tall, with over 30 points of articulation. Also continuing the high quality and impressive features, this figure has LED lit eyes and chest RT, plus three pairs of hands and a decorative base. More, it has “caution” stickers for decoration.
Still, we’ve come to expect that from every Hot Toy Movie Masterpice figure. What is surprising about The Peacemaker though is the price–coming in at only $269.95 this one is less than recent Iron Man is $15 less than the recent Bones Armor release.
So head over to SideshowCollectibles.com to check it out, and if you order please remember to use our affiliate link to support this site and our podcast Marvelicious Toys!
40 Year-Old-Critic: Howard the Duck (1986)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
In 1986 I was obsessed with, and repulsed by, one film.
It starred a creature not entirely human, nor entirely animal.
The creature wanted to mate with its frizzy-haired, yet attractive, female co-star.
The film also featured a teleportation plot and a once-gentle scientist that slowly transforms into a beast.
That film was David Cronenberg’s remake of The Fly, and even its trailers scared the bejesus out of me. Those trailers ran before nearly every movie I watched. I was 11 years old, but still needed to leave the theater when I’d see The Fly approaching.
I was afraid. I was very afraid.
If I was writing this retrospective before 2011, this article would have focused on that film and how it pushed my adolescent boundaries into new territories.
But now I am going to write about Howard the Duck.
This is what I see in the ink blot…
Or, more accurately, I’m going to write about talking about Howard the Duck. I think I’ve said everything I needed to say about the notorious 1986 bomb three years ago when I reviewed it — alongside co-hosts Stuart and Jakob — for Now Playing Podcast. I discussed seeing the film in theaters, reading the novelization (which I reviewed as well, on the Marvelicious Toys podcast), and even seeing the Dark Overlord in a Rorschach Test. After more than two hours discussing Howard the Duck, what more could I have to say?
Plenty, it turns out. It was a complete accident, but Howard the Duck changed my life.
As I discussed on that show, I’d always had a kitschy fascination with George Lucas’ follow-up to Return of the Jedi. I knew people hated it, but didn’t understand why. It followed the Ghostbusters formula to a T: creatures from another plane come to Earth, wacky scientists try to determine the cause, and hilarity ensues. It even ends with one of the main characters transforming into an evil beast and the fate of the world determined by an animated laser battle between the heroes and giant, evil creatures.
“They let kids watch this film????”
I loved Ghostbusters, and I loved Howard the Duck even more — as Sigourney Weaver’s Dana never wore anything close to the slinky, sexy outfit that perfectly framed Lea Thompson’s Beverly.
Though it had been 25 years, I was excited by the chance to review Howard the Duck for Now Playing Podcast. Our movie review show was coming up on its 4th anniversary and it had always been a way for me to discuss films for which I had passion. Whether I loved a film or hated it, if I felt something then I wanted to talk about it.
Around this time the show was also finally starting to find some success. Our early, short-form reviews had downloads that measured in the teens. With our Friday the 13th Retrospective Series — something I envisioned as a quick one-off — downloads jumped from the teens to the thousands.
We continued to work hard and over the years our audience started to find us. We were still a small fish in a large sea, but we had grown from a dwarf puffer to at least a catfish.
This film was no vehicle for an intelligent, sensitive duck.
The success of our 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street series emboldened me, and, that same year, Iron Man 2 inspired me. After seeing Iron Man, War Machine, Nick Fury, and Black Widow share the screen I could not contain my excitement for The Avengers. So I pitched to Stuart and Jakob the biggest retrospective series ever: all of the Marvel movies, in order, starting with Howard the Duck.
There was quite a bit of negotiation, wrangling, and reordering of movies; but between May 2010 and March 2011 we came to an accord and the Now Playing Marvel Movie Retrospective began.
It was our biggest series, or biggest gamble, and it all hinged on Howard.
Perhaps it was the buildup, but that show always seemed special. We were coming off the Philip K Dick Retrospective Series, which had been pushed to Spring 2011 after The Adjustment Bureau’s release date changed. Downloads were low on the Dick series and there were some production issues. By the time we hit The Adjustment Bureau morale behind-the-scenes was low.
All of that changed with Howard. To my memory, that was the first Now Playing review that, in its raw audio, went more than three hours. Over the course of two years I had allowed Now Playing’s runtime to grow, but only one show had ever gone more than 2 hours: the 2010 review of the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake.
I spent about 80 hours editing our Howard the Duck review, trying to hold to the editor’s axiom of “kill your darlings.” But I just couldn’t do it.
Even during my 11th pass on the Howard the Duck review I was still laughing out loud at the jokes.
Before I even finished the edit I knew that show was something special. I just prayed it would find an audience.
It did.
Maybe it was the press releases I had sent, maybe it was the social media promotion, but for the first time, Now Playing Podcast broke through iTunes’ Top 10 TV/Film audio podcast rankings. It took a few days after the show was released, but we had done it!
That spot increased our visibility, and the downloads multiplied exponentially. To go from the unsuccessful Dick series to the top of the iTunes charts was just incredible. Howard the Duck became iTunes’ 5th most downloaded episode in the aforementioned category.
Howard had a theatrical come-back this year, but this mangy fowl is NOT my Howard! The costume in 1986 looked better than this.
The success was so astounding I actually hesitated before releasing the next show. I knew our Man-Thing podcast was also pretty funny, but the newest show is always the most downloaded. Downloads of Howard were sure to decrease.
Still, we had a schedule, and so Man-Thing went out on time, and became iTunes’ No. 1 most downloaded TV/Film audio podcast. The following week we reviewed Kick-Ass and it grabbed the No. 1 slot, pushing Man-Thing into second place.
Stuart, Jakob, and I were stunned. It was unbelievable to look at the iTunes rankings and see Man-Thing at the top. I have since joked that more people listened to our review of Man-Thing than actually saw that damn film.
One thing we all agreed on — it was Howard the Duck that launched those shows to the top. Howard was a special show, combining serious film criticism with a terrific dose of humor, making fun of ourselves as well as the film, and we knew that was why listeners kept coming back to our show.
Now Playing has had its ups and downs since then. Some shows and retrospectives click more with audiences than others, and some shows I am more proud of than others. Still, it was with Howard the Duck that all the pieces fell into place and listeners responded.
For those reasons I will always love that duck.
I have stated at least twice on the podcast that I wish I could turn that “Red Arrow” grade for Howard into a “Green Arrow” on our site. I realize the film has its flaws — I still believe the second act drags — but I enjoy it anyway. I gave Howard the review I did not because I didn’t like the movie, but because I didn’t think others would find the same enjoyment. After all, our end rating is always a “recommendation” and not a “thumbs up.” When I give the “Green Arrow” I’m not saying, “I like this movie,” I’m saying, “I think you will like this movie.”
Well, I knew back then that I liked Howard the Duck in spite of the flaws.
That fondness has grown as, through Now Playing, I’ve become closely associated with that “fowl” creature. Stuart and Jakob were with me in the review, but I was Howard’s champion (and the one that saw the Dark Overlord in a Rorschach test). Over the past three years that special relationship with this childhood guilty pleasure has grown.
Original face casts of Jeffrey Jones used by the make-up department. They now adorn my wall.
I started collecting a few trinkets from the Howard the Duck film — the old trading cards, a candy cigar, a mini duck head that once held sugar treats. Then I got the Bowen statue, the Toy Biz figure. Finally, this year, I took the plunge — one of the Industrial Light and Magic creature shop workers was selling several Howard the Duck production pieces.
On my desk, a foot from me as I write, is a glass egg that Lucasfilm gave to crew and press back in 1986. Inside that egg is a single duck feather. The Howard the Duck logo on the front makes me smile, not because of that 1986 film about a duck trapped in a world he never made, but because of the podcast that I made that found its place in the world.
Tomorrow — 1987!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles Exclusive Emma Frost Premium Format Figure
The White Queen Emma Frost has already been recreated as a Sideshow Premium Format Figure, in a statue based on the art of J. Scott Campbell. That statue, released back in 2009, is still a great piece but as Sideshow’s roster of quarter-scale X-Men has grown, that older statue did not fit with the more realistic aesthetics of the modern Premium Format line. Numerous fans have requested Sideshow revisit Emma Frost in a style that would go alongside the figures of the past few years like Cyclops, Storm, and Jean Gray.
Now Sideshow has put up for pre-order the brand new version of Emma Frost. Standing 20-inches tall, designed by Kris Anka, this new Emma looks as she did as the 1980 Queen of the Hellfire Club. The statue’s base is themed after that hedonistic, underground society.
And if you hurry and get Sideshow’s Exclusive Edition you get a swap-out head showing the White Queen with her short hair. These alternate heads on Rogue and Storm have driven the prices of exclusive editions sky-high on eBay, but now you can get one for the regular price!
I saw this statue in person at San Diego Comic-Con. While it may be on the risque side for some collectors, the piece is beautifully sculpted. The long cape in back is fur trimmed and able to be draped in a number of ways. This statue is great for Frost fans be it in her comics, in X-Men: First Class or even X-Men Origins: Wolverine or that old Generation X TV movie!
She is scheduled to ship in April, 2015 and Flex-Pay is available, so get your order in now at Sideshow Collectibles!
40 Year-Old-Critic: Superman (1978)
In The 40-Year-Old Critic, Venganza Media creator and host Arnie Carvalho recalls a memorable film for each year of his life. This series appears daily on the Venganza Media Gazette.
I look at 1978 as the middle-child of movie years. Moviegoers were still wowed by 1977’s Star Wars, which was continuing to play on many screens in’78. Lucas’ masterpiece had just set Hollywood on its own space race, but it took a couple of years for Lucas imitators and other sci-fi directors to get their films produced. As such, many of the sci-fi films I grew up with and celebrate as seminal were not released until 1979. But what about the year in-between? It had Dawn of the Dead, a smart mix of social commentary and horror, and Grease, which is a fun sing-a-long romp that I’ve watched more times than I can count. Still, neither changed my life nor my view of film. And please don’t bring up Jaws 2, Animal House, or Every Which Way But Loose. No, in 1978 there are only two films that resonated with me. The first was Halloween, an annual must-watch for me that iterated the Texas Chain Saw Massacre formula and is the father of the 80s slasher film. But its impact pales in comparison to the single 1978 movie that made me believe a man could fly — Superman: The Movie. I was 4 years old when this superhero film was released, but my parents took me to see this in theaters despite my young age. In one viewing my focus changed.
No, I don’t know why Superman is carrying Jaws
I’ve gone back and looked at family photo albums. From September ‘74 through November ‘78 all my photos were full of the usual childhood accouterments: I had PlaySkool’s wooden Sesame Street figures, clown items, Cookie Monster designs on my 4th birthday cake. You can see the changes after December ‘78. My clothes were no longer Big Bird T-Shirts, now they were superhero Underoos. Away went the baby PlaySkool toys and, in their place, was a collection of Mego Superheroes. And on my bedroom wall were two new posters: Lou Ferrigno as CBS’s The Incredible Hulk, and Christopher Reeve, arm pointing to the sky, advertising Superman: The Movie. Obviously, many films captured my imagination (and my parents’ dollars) as a child. That alone is not enough to warrant the title of Most Important Film of 1978. However, when I look at my life, and when I look at the hit movies of today, it’s impossible not to see the legacy of star Christopher Reeve and director Richard Donner. In the mid-70s superheroes were seen as campy entertainment for children. Comic books had long been stigmatized as pulp trash, and that reputation was solidified by the 1960s Batman TV series. Early drafts of Superman reflected that attitude as well (you can hear all about that in the Now Playing Podcast Superman review). But with this Superman film Donner saw an opportunity to make a more serious superhero adventure. He gave A-list stars Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman top billing, brought in state-of-the-art special effects, and allowed John Williams to create that emotional, rousing anthem for his hero. The result was a film that lived up to the promise on its poster, and as a 4-year-old I believed a man could fly. Admittedly, Superman did not completely abandon some campy scenes and performances; Ned Beatty’s Otis could have been teleported right from that 60s Batman series. Still, by taking the material as seriously as it did Donner and company created the first modern superhero film.
The less said the better
Is that a spider on the ceiling?
You can see the lineage: Superman begat 1989’s Batman, which begat The Crow five years later, which begat Blade in ‘98, which begat 2000’s X-Men (also produced by Donner), which begat 2002’s Spider-Man, which led to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with Iron Man in 2008, and The Avengers four years later. And those are just the game changers. More than 100 other big-budget, major motion pictures follow Superman’s example of treating the material with respect and casting big-name stars as iconic comic characters. To this very day, almost every single superhero film is still following the mold created by Donner. As the Now Playing Podcast reviews show, the Superman series went downhill very quickly. Producers Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind fired Donner, and without his vision the series devolved into a Richard Pryor yuk-fest. It took Tim Burton’s Batman to remind Hollywood that audiences will turn out for a serious superhero film. Then, like Superman before it, the Batman series quickly collapsed when Burton moved on. It was finally Bryan Singer’s X-Men that ignited what has become the blockbuster movie genre of the 21st century. (Don’t get me started on what Singer did to Superman, you can hear my review of that travesty in the Now Playing Podcast archives.) As for me: seeing 1978’s Superman at such a young, impressionable age forever changed my world view. While I was never heavy into comic books, Superman turned me on to multimedia superheroes. My morning cartoons became filled with Batman and Spider-Man and Hulk, and every time there was a new comic-based television series or film I was in the audience.
Sometimes Superman gets bored of flying.
I am forever chasing the sense of wonder I felt in 1978 when Clark Kent ripped open his shirt and I saw the bright red and yellow S. Better still, this is a good movie. Unlike Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which I don’t enjoy but which fathered films I love, Superman: The Movie is always a joy to watch. While the pacing (especially in the director’s cut) may bore some people, I love the character exploration and world-building that Donner indulges. This love of superhero movies would be a direct catalyst for the creation of Now Playing Podcast, a show that’s been downloaded by hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. The idea for what would become Now Playing came to me as I was leaving a screening of the Marvel Comics movie Ghost Rider, and our first review was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. The excitement for Marvel’s The Avengers kicked off Now Playing’s longest retrospective series, and turned the podcast into a weekly show as we revisited every Marvel movie, starting with George Lucas’ Howard the Duck.
It is also Marvel’s Iron Man 2 that made me a serious collector of comic book-related merchandise. That led to the creation of the podcast Marvelicious Toys and my sizable Marvel collection, full of movie-based Hot Toys figures, quarter-scale statues, and even some one-of-a-kind production materials from Howard the Duck. And while my collecting focus has been the Marvel films, I do own one single collectible from the DC universe: a Hot Toys figure of Christopher Reeve from 1978’s Superman. I own it not as a collector, but as a fan, and I display it in my home theater as a reminder that I still believe a man can fly.
No, I don’t have the figure, let alone the figure on card
Next — 1979!
Arnie is a movie critic for Now Playing Podcast, a book reviewer for the Books & Nachos podcast, and co-host of the collecting podcasts Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys. You can follow him on Twitter @thearniec
New Podcast: Issue 123: San Diego Comic-Con 2014 Coverage
Exclusives. New Product Reveals. M.O.D.O.K. Me! All of this and more were hot topics of conversation at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International! Now on this episode of Marvelicious Toys join Marjorie, Arnie, and Justin live on the convention floor as they discuss the exclusives and new Marvel toys and collectibles revealed at this year’s Comic-Con.
Plus watch for exclusive interviews with Hasbro, Gentle Giant, Kotobukiya, 3-D Plus Me, and Diamond Select Toys for even more news! Discover the fate of Diamond Select’s X-Men Days of Future Past Mystique figure. Hear Hasbro’s answer as to when Bulldozer will see the light of day. Find out what Koto has planned after their Avengers Art-FX+ series ends, and so much more!
It’s just like having a press pass for SDCC, but without the aching back and sore feet! So kick back and enjoy this episode of Marvelicious Toys!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT123.MP3
Category: Arts
Pre-Order Alert: Die Cast Iron Man Mark III Exclusive and Mark III Construction Version
Hot Toys collectors, your day just got a little bit cooler! Sideshow Collectibles has put up for pre-order two new versions of the Iron Man Mark III armor as seen in the first Iron Man movie!
First we have the Iron Man Mark III Armor. This is the iconic red-and-gold suit Tony Stark dons about halfway through the first film. Hot Toys has released this figure before, but collectors complained that the figure was a bit shorter than the later Hot Toys figures, and the face sculpt wasn’t as perfected. Now Hot Toys brings their latest technology to the figure–it’s made of die cast metal! You can hear (or watch) our review of Hot Toys’ amazing Iron Patriot die cast figure in Marvelicious Toys Issue 119 (and that figure is still available to order from Sideshow as well). By going die cast Hot Toys has taken their already astounding figures to the next level, so for many who even already own the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark III this upgrade is worth a purchase.
More, through Sideshow Collectibles, Hot Toys is offering an exclusive version of this figure that comes with an accessory you can’t get anywhere else: a 1/6 scale version of Tony Stark’s first arc reactor in the case as Pepper Potts gave him as a gift in that Iron Man film! It’s a neat accessory that is sure to make this item highly sought after on the secondary market.
More, you get a ton of accessories (pictured right) including a changeable Tony Stark head, LED eyes and chest RT, removable chest and torso armor, interchangeable forearm rockets, interchangeable shoulder guns, interchangeable countermeasure dispensers, 3 pairs of hands, and a light-up figure stand.
And for those Hot Toys collectors who like to make dioramas or environments, there’s a more unique Iron Man Mark III up for order today–the Iron Man Mark III Construction Version. Priced at only $149.99 this is about half the price of a normal Hot Toys Iron Man, which is fitting as it’s half an Iron Man! This item recreates the Mark III armor as shown undergoing repairs in Tony Stark’s workshop. With the chest plates off, shown hanging from chains with wires extending beneath, it’s an interesting accessory that your Tony Stark figure can tinker with!
So hurry and order the Die Cast Iron Man Mark III or the Iron Man Mark III Construction Version now from Sideshow Collectibles!
Hasbro SDCC Exclusives Now Available Online!
Update 3: Overnight the Infinity Gauntlet 3.75-inch Marvel set sold out, over 12 hours after being offered.
Update 2: The Jabba the Hutt set is now sold out, 1 hour after being put up for sale
Update: The Marvel Legends Galactus Engine Set is now sold out, about 25 minutes after being put up for sale.
Hasbro’s 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International exclusive toys are up for order now at Habro’s online store HasbroToyShop.com As we reported on Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys’ social media sites, and will be detailed more in the forthcoming Comic-Con coverage videos and podcasts, Hasbro’s San Diego booth was the most chaotic it’s been in 9 years. Items like the Marvel Legends set and Jabba the Hutt sold out by 10:30 Saturday morning. Collectors and scalpers alike fought to get tickets and get in the line, and sometimes lining up as early as 5 a.m. was not enough to get the toys sought. Now they are on Hasbro Toy Shop.com but with the high demand for these limited-edition toys they will likely sell out in under an hour. So if you were looking for these toys, hurry to the site now and get yours! 
New Podcast: Issue 122: It’s Raining Gwen!
Sideshow Collectibles has been hitting Marvel collectors fast and hard with tons of new pre-orders, product reveals, and more in the weeks leading up to San Diego Comic-Con. Not only are new items on the site, they’re shipping too! Two of the most hotly anticipated statues from Sideshow are the J. Scott Campbell collection’s Gwen Stacey maquette and the giant Premium Format Apocalypse figure. Join Marvelicious hosts Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie in this issue for detailed reviews of both!
But if you prefer collecting items with articulation, this show has plenty of that as well! While not yet in most stores, Hasbro’s new Marvel Infinite Series figures have been shipping from online resellers and Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie got Waves 2 and 3 from DorksideToys.com! Watch this episode and see the video reviews of these new toys including Death’s Head, Ant-Man, Red She-Hulk, Ares, and more!
With a complete run-down of exclusives going for sale tomorrow at San Diego Comic-Con International, a report of new Marvel Legends hitting stores, and so much more, it’s all in this mega-sized, 2 hour Marvelicious Toys podcast!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT122.MP3
Category: Arts
I AM GROOT! Pre-Order your Hot Toys Rocket Raccoon and/or Groot now!
I AM GROOT!
Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles has surprised us! Now there are a total of three Hot Toys 1/6 scale Movie Masterpiece Series figures up for pre-order today! Earlier we announced the Toy Fairs Exclusive Iron Man in Python Armor figure, and now available for pre-order are the Guardians of the Galaxy heroes Rocket Raccoon and Groot!
Rocket Raccoon is a smaller figure, and priced accordingly. Wearing his grey and orange space suit, he comes with 17 points of articulation, his big rifle from the film, 3 pairs of interchangeable hands, and a figure stand. At 1/6 scale he stands 16cm (just over 6-inches) tall.
Then there is Groot, the giant tree. As trees are not very nimble he has only 15 points of articulation…but he’s big, standing 39cm (well over 15-inches) tall! He also has 3 interchangeable pairs of hands.
But if you’re the type of collector (or just The Collector) who has to have both you can get even more! Sideshow’s exclusive figure 2-pack gives you both figures, plus you get 3 extra Groot accessories — 2 more pairs of hands, plus an alternate Groot face showing his angry expression.
These are up for order now, and as the Guardians gain heat they’re likely to be in high demand, so head to Sideshow and order your Rocket, Groot, or both now!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Toy Fair Exclusive Iron Man Mark XX (Python Armor)
Hot Toys is bringing the (house) party to you!
In the past the Hot Toys exclusive figures have been some of the hardest for US collectors to obtain, and drawn some of the highest prices on the secondary market. In the past Sideshow Collectibles used to make these items San Diego Comic-Con exclusives, but has since moved to their usual online ordering system (albeit with a lower edition size). Last year’s exclusive Midas Armor Iron Man was especially problematic for collectors.
Fortunately Sideshow has not left us hanging as long this year, as up for pre-order now is the Toy Fair exclusive Iron Man Mark XX — the Python Armor!
This 1/6 scale figure stands 12-inches tall, has over 36 points of articulation, LED lighted eyes and chest RT, and comes with 3 pairs of interchangeable hands, swap-out missile-launching shoulder blade armor, light shoulder blade armor, and detachable forearm rockets. Plus you get the circular figure base with a flexible pillar for “in flight” display.
The more I type the faster these are selling out so hurry to Sideshow and secure your order now! The Python will be flying to you in August!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Iron Man
In the wee hours this morning Hot Toys revealed a new Iron Man armor on its Facebook page: The Mark XLI “Bones” Armor from Iron Man 3! Unlike some recent Hot Toys 12-inch Iron Man figures which have been kit-bashes and repaints, this one was startling for being such a departure from the previous figures. With raised, bronze pieces over a black body this figure has possibly more detailed sculpting than any other Iron Man Hot Toys armor to date!
More, this figure has a totally new, unique feature: The neck, upper chest, shoulders, elbows, and upper thighs are all magnetic allowing the figure to break apart as seen in the film! The figure comes with flame effects to represent the propulsion jets in each piece. I cannot lie, I’m totally geeking out over how freaking awesome that is! Plus they’ve kept over 36 points of articulation on the body!
The figure comes with 3 pairs of hands and a circular figure stage. It also has LED eyes and chest RT.
Why are you still reading this? Sideshow just put up the pre-order so move your Bones and go order this ultimately cool figure!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles’ Sentinel Maquette
Last year Sideshow Collectibles released their gorgeous, giant Galactus Maquette. Now they have given Galactus a companion — The X-Men killer Sentinel robot!
This killer was originally conceived by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and has become a staple in X-Men stories including the recent film X-Men: Days of Future Past. Three stories tall with tons of mutant-killing gadgets, these robots mean business!
Now Sideshow gives this character a giant collectible worthy of its fictional stature. Standing 32-inches tall, weighing 20 lbs, this Maquette has a representation of the character in his classic purple and blue color scheme. Plus he has light-up hands and swap-out heads with both classic and modern looks.
You can see a review of the Galactus Maquette in Marvelicious Toys Issue 99 and check out hundreds of photos in the Marvelicious Toys Photogallery. This Sentinel is bound to have the same quality, and no X-Men fan’s collection will be complete without it!
A payment plan is available as low as $81 per month, so don’t wait, get your order in now at Sideshow Collectibles!
New Podcast: Issue 121: Marv-ILL-icious Toys
It’s like the plot of a comic book–a mysterious illness has infected the Marvelicious Toys staff. Two of the podcast hosts have had to go to the Emergency Room in the past two weeks. But the show must go on! There is just too much happening in the world of Marvel toy collecting to take a week off! So join Marjorie, Arnie, and Justin this week in Marv-ILL-icious Toys and find out about the latest Hasbro Legends and Infinite Series figures hitting stores and online!
In this podcast the hosts run down the latest exclusive information from San Diego Comic-Con including four variant statues from Kotobukiya and the new Hot Toys Iron Man Python Armor. Listen to find out how to get your hands on those!
Plus, in addition to a cold, the Guardians of the Galaxy fever is rampaging through the Marvelicious staff! After the IMAX preview Monday night the hype is in full effect. Watch the videos to see the new 2-inch Guardians figures, the Toys R Us exclusive Rocket Raccoon and much more!
And do you want the Guardians of the Galaxy Legends? Save 20% now through June 20th on your order of Guardians of the Galaxy toys at our sponsor DorksideToys.com! Use code MT20 to save on Guardians figures! (Discount does not apply to shipping; cannot be combined with any other offers).
All that and more in this issue of Marvelicious Toys!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT121.MP3
Category: Arts
Gentle Giant Announces SDCC Exclusive Rocket Raccoon Mini-Bust!
Every year since obtaining the Marvel license for mini-busts in 2011 Gentle Giant has released an animal-related San Diego Comic-Con International exclusive. First in 2011 was Squirrelpool. In 2012 came Thor Frog. In 2013 we were given Spider-Ham.
But in 2014, with the Guardians of the Galaxy movie opening one week after Comic-Con, one Marvel animal was the obvious choice for this year’s exclusive–Rocket Raccoon.
Unlike the previous animal releases, however, Rocket is a full-sized mini-bust standing almost 5 inches tall, and coming in at the regular $70 retail price.
This item will be available for sale (and, with the upcoming film, likely really hard to get) at San Diego Comic-Con, but if you’re in Gentle Giant’s Premiere Guild you can pre-order him now and have him shipped to your door! Even if you’re going to the convention, given the heat on this furry guy this summer I highly suggest pre-ordering and quickly–Gentle Giant’s McQuarrie Luke Skywalker Mini-Bust has pre-sold out and I expect Rocket will do the same!
Today only Kotobukiya Fine Art Psylocke, 29% off + Free shipping
Today only Entertainment Earth has a great bargain on the Kotobuikiya Psylocke Fine Art statue. Until midnight PST Psylocke is 29% off with free shipping!
From Kotobukiya! X-Force cannot be stopped! The incredible Fine Art Statue line has captured members X-23, Warpath, Dead pool, Archangel and Wolverine and now it expands to include the telepathic mutant ninja and current leader of Uncanny X-Force, PSYLOCKE! The deadly telepathic mutant stands on a ruined battlefield, focused intently on her enemies and ready to attack! Psylocke balances with her feet spread wide, gripping the broken pillar beneath her with her Japanese tabi-style boots. She leans forward with one katana held in a low guard position before her, her other hand poised behind her to strike. You can see the ninja training at work in Psylocke’s perfectly held pose, with just the floating of her long purple hair and sash to show that the world is affecting her. The powerful mutant wears her distinctive X-Force outfit consisting of a sleek black skin-tight costume, thigh high boots, long fingerless gloves and unique straps around her upper arms and legs plus a white sash belt decorated with the red and black X-Force symbol. As beautiful as she is deadly, Betsy’s likeness is spot on and conveys her otherworldly grace. As an added bonus, interchangeable parts let you display Psylocke with a second katana in her left hand or the swirling purple energy of her psychic knife! Sculpted by Erick Sosa, Psylocke stands over 10 Inch tall on her georama base in 1/6th scale with the other X-Force Fine Art Statues. Get her while you can before this psychic ninja disappears!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles Exclusive Dr. Doom Premium Format Figure
In the comics Victor Von Doom once said: “How to destroy a man: give him his heart’s desire.”
If that is the case I imagine many Marvel Comics fans will be destroyed by today’s new offering from Sideshow Collectibles–the Dr. Doom Premium Format Figure.
This is the second Premium Format release of the Fantastic Four baddie. The first Dr. Doom Premium Format was released in 2006. Only 1,000 of the regular edition were made, and only 500 of the exclusive (which came with a bonus chalice and base). Being an early release in Sideshow’s Marvel Comics line and so limited has made the price skyrocket on eBay–the exclusive edition recently sold for over $3,200! That Doom and his goblet have long been the holy grail for many Marvel collectors, myself included. Even the more common regular edition, without the golden cup, sells for over $2,000. This has simply priced most people out of getting Dr. Doom in their Premium Format collection.
Now frustrated Doom fans have their chance with this new release, and Sideshow has made sure this new Doom is very different from the last. While the 2006 release had Doom contemplative, sitting on his throne, this release shows Doom ready for action, standing, fist clenched. The Sideshow Exclusive Edition even comes with a swap-out hand holding a gun, showing his lethal intent.
A combination of polystone and soft goods, this new Doom stands nearly 2-feet tall and weighs 12 lbs.
You’ve seen what the previous Sideshow Exclusive Doom sells for, so why are you still reading this? Hurry and secure your Exclusive Doom today! It is expected to ship next May, and Flex Pay is available.
New Podcast: Issue 120: Guardians of the Podcast
Excitement is building for the Guardians of the Galaxy — Marvel Studios’ next cinematic adaptation of Marvel Universe superheroes. Trailers have raised awareness of rogue space criminals Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Groot, and Rocket Raccoon. Now the toys are starting to hit stores, including the collector-focused Marvel Legends figures! Join Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie on this issue of the Marvelicious Toys podcast to hear their in-depth reviews of these five movie-based figures, as well as the comic based Iron Man and Nova figures.
Also on this show we look at Disney Infinity 2.0, the Marvel Universe installment. With characters like Captain America and Venom coming out as figures that unlock playable characters, it’s sure to be a hit with kids. But will adult collectors be drawn into this Infinity and beyond? It’s discussed on this show.
With new, exclusive Diamond Select Toys figures, Sideshow’s Iron Man Mk 42 Maquette, Black Widow sightings at retail, and more, it’s all right now in the new Marvelicious Toys podcast!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT120.MP3
Category: Arts
New Podcast: Issue 119: Hot Toys, We Salute You
Pre-orders seem to be like plane crashes, they always come in threes. So with tons of new items arriving on their doorsteps Marvelicious Toys hosts Justin, Arnie, and Marjorie are here with a bonus episode of the podcast!First they look at Iron Patriot, the first Die Cast Hot Toys Iron Man figure released. Standing 12-inches tall, coming with a bevvy of accessories and light-up features, listen to find out why the hosts think this is a figure worthy of a sharp salute!Then the next Avengers Art-FX+ statue has been released from Kotobukiya: Black Widow. Based upon art by Adi Granov and crafted with Kotobukiya’s attention to detail, listen to find out if this femme fatale should find a prominent place in your collection.And finally for those who prefer their statues quite a bit larger Sideshow has released their quarter-scale 19-inch Black Widow Premium Format Figure. For this piece Sideshow gave the Russian spy a likeness more in line with her comic book incarnation, dressed in black leather with the trademark gold belt and stingers. On this show find out if you should get this statue in her sights, and hear a comparison with Sideshow’s Iron Man 2 movie-based Black Widow Premium Format Figure with a Scarlett Johansson likeness.With the latest from Marvelicious Toys sponsor DorksideToys and more, it’s all in this bonus issue of the Marvelicious Toys podcast!
: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT119.MP3
Category: Arts
New Podcast: Issue 118: Ducks of Future Past
The third film based on Marvel Comics has hit theaters — X-Men: Days of Future Past. While toy tie-ins have been few, the movie itself has been a huge success becoming the top grossing X-Men film worldwide! On this issue of Marvelicious Toys Justin, Marjorie, and Arnie give their brief review of this film. So join them and then come to our forums to share your thoughts!But from the newest Marvel film to the oldest–Howard the Duck, the first Marvel Comics character to be featured in a live action feature. Recently some rare items from this film showed up on eBay, and Arnie went ducking nuts over them. Listen to find out about these one-of-a-kind collectibles!With new Infinite Series figures in stores and online, Guardians of the Galaxy Legends, a new wave of X-Men Marvel Legends figures and much, much more, it’s all in the new issue of the Marvelicious Toys podcast!And join us next week for a bonus issue of Marvelicious Toys where we review the Hot Toys Iron Patriot MMS figure and three Black Widow statues!
Listen Now: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT118.MP3
Category: Arts
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Before The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hit theaters in the US toy maker Hot Toys was teasing a giant Rhino figure, based on the character’s mech suit in the film. But now that the film is out and Rhino was little more than a cameo, I’m much happier that the second Amazing Spider-Man 2 Hot Toys figure released is Max Dillon himself, Electro!
Scheduled to ship in April of 2015, this figure is charged with features, such as a light-up translucent head based on the likeness of Jamie Foxx. (Though I may be mistaken, I can’t think of a single other Best Actor Oscar winner to have a translucent light-up head!) He also has over 30 points of articulation in the body, light-up wrists, 4 pairs of interchangeable heads, and the blue/black outfit Electro wore in the film’s climax.
Don’t hesitate, move at the speed of light and order your Hot Toys Electro today!
Captain America – The Winter Soldier on DVD and Blu-Ray 9/9
MARVEL’S FIRST AVENGER RETURNS IN THE YEAR’S
BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER ACTION ADVENTURE!
MARVEL’S CAPTAIN AMERICA:
THE WINTER SOLDIER
Own The Movie That Changed Everything, along with Exclusive Bonus Features!
Get it First on Digital 3D and Digital HD, plus Disney Movies Anywhere August 19th, and on 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand September 9th
BURBANK, Calif. May 30, 2014— From the studio that brought you the biggest Super Hero movie of all time, Marvel’s The Avengers, comes this year’s #1 live-action adventure, Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, available early on Digital 3D and HD August 19th, 2014, and on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand September 9th, 2014, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Saluted by critics as “action-packed” (NY Daily News), “thrilling” (Cinema Blend) and “better than The Avengers” (Access Hollywood), this blockbuster second chapter in the Captain America series teams Marvel’s First Avenger, Captain America, with Black Widow and new ally The Falcon as they battle their most mysterious and powerful enemy yet, the Winter Soldier.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and starring Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, with Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury,Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier arrives on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD armed with explosively entertaining bonus features, including Making-of Featurettes, Audio Commentary, Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Bloopers and More…
Bring home the movie that changed everything and expand your Marvel collection in the following formats with bonus features as listed:
Bonus Materials Overview for These Products:
Digital 3D, HD, & SD*
3D Blu-ray Combo Pack (3D BD + Single Disc BD + Digital Copy)
Blu-ray
Includes:
- Making-of Featurettes
- Audio Commentary
- Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
- Bloopers
- And More…
*Digital bonus offerings will vary per retailer
1-Disc DVD
Includes:
- Making-of Featurette
- Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scene
Feature Run Time: Approximately 136 minutes
Rating: Feature Film: “PG-13” in U.S., G in Canada (CE and CF)
Additional Bonus Features Not Rated
Aspect Ratio: 3-D Blu-ray Feature Film = 2.40:1
Blu-ray Feature Film = 2.40:1
DVD Feature Film = 2.40:1
Pre-Order and Deal Alert: Marvel Movie Funko POP Vinyl Figures!
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A Funko Exclusive POP and Three Others at a Great Discount! |
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| Attention Funko POP Vinyl collectors! Today is a great day to pick up four new characters for your collection!
First and most important, earlier this week the Amazon Exclusive Unmasked Star Lord Guardians of the Galaxy POP was put up for pre-order. It sold out in just a number of hours making collectors fear having to pay a high price on the secondary market, but this morning it is back available for order! So if you want this exclusive POP do not hesitate, go and order it today! Plus today only Entertainment Earth is having a great sale on the POP Vinyls from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Get Captain America, Black Widow, or Winter Soldier for only $6.50 each! This sale ends tonight, so snatch up the savings now!
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Pre-Order Alert: We have a (Gray) Hulk from Sideshow Collectibles
Hulk has always been one to change colors. The original Stan Lee vision for Hulk was that he would be gray in color, and he was in his first appearance in Incredible Hulk #1. Printing process limitations had Hulk turn green for issue 2, and green he stayed for 20 years–until Incredible Hulk issue 324 when writer Allen Milgrom changed the character to a slightly weaker, smarter, and gray version.
Gray Hulk persisted into a spotlight run of Hulk comics written by Peter David and illustrated by up-and-coming artist Todd McFarlane (whatever happened to that guy?). Incredible art and even better writing combined to turn Hulk into Joe Fixit and several other incarnations before David turned him Green once more.
In the years since Gray Hulk has made several memorable cameos and appearances, and now he can appear in your collection! Sideshow Collectibles put up for pre-order the Gray Hulk Premium Format Figure, completing the trio of Hulk statues.
Like the others, this statue is 20-inches tall, weighs a hefty 20 pounds, and has detailed sculpting with a unique Gray Hulk head. But if you get the exclusive edition you get an extra accessory not found elsewhere — an orange shirt inspired by Hulk’s first story in Incredible Hulk #1 (pictured right). I checked with Sideshow and this shirt is removable so if you get the exclusive version you can display him topless or in his torn orange shirt.
So hurry and get your pre-order for Gray Hulk in today!
If you want other Hulks, the Red Hulk Exclusive Premium Format Figure has less than 10 remaining before it is sold out! It is limited to 500 pieces so you’ll have a truly limited collectible. The Green Hulk Exclusive Figure’s edition size has yet to be determined but is still available for order.
New Podcast: Issue 117: Flocking A Pop
Last year at San Diego Comic-Con Kotobukiya showed off the unpainted model for their Art-FX+ Hulk Statue. It has now been released and the Marvelicious Toys hosts have it in hand! Listen to find out why this is a smashing collectible you need to rush to own. Then head back to our San Diego Comic-Con podcast to hear our interview with Adi about the statue!Also on this week’s show, Marjorie, Justin, and Arnie have seen The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With the Legends, 3.75-inch, and Hot Toys all ordered…was the movie any good? Listen to hear their thoughts on the latest Marvel superhero movie, and their anticipation for this weekend’s X-Men: Days of Future Past!With a report from the Toy Man Toy Show in St. Louis, a new Diamond Select exclusive in Disney Stores, a Hot Toys release that’s really a bust, and so much more, it’s all in this Marvelicious Toys podcast!
Listen Now: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT117.MP3
Category: Arts
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Falcon from Captain America: The Winter Soldier
I do what he does, only slower.
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier a standout new character was The Falcon, as played by Anthony Mackie. As seen on screen this version of Sam Wilson is a deep character with a realistic backstory, having served in the war and seen his wingman shot down. Plus he got to kick butt in some (literally) high-flying action!
Hasbro only released a version of this figure in 3.75-inch scale, but now you can get the single best replication of the movie Falcon from Hot Toys!
Not only does Hot Toys’ Falcon figure have the authentic movie likeness that we’ve come to expect, but he also has a plethora of extras…far more than I ever expectedincluding:
- Approximately 30 cm tall
- Four (4) pairs of interchangeable gloved palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– One (1) pair of palms for holding weapons
– One (1) pair of palms for holding wings - One (1) dark grey and black vest
- One (1) grey t-shirt
- One (1) pair of black bicep guards
- One (1) pair of camouflage patterned pants with U.S. flag emblem and shin guards
- One (1) pair of black boots
- Two (2) submachine guns
- One (1) flight backpack with LED light up function (red light, battery operated)
- One (1) pair of attachable fully spread wings
- One (1) pair of flight backpack assembly parts
- One (1) pair of goggles
- Diamond-shaped dynamic figure stand with Falcon nameplate, the movie logo, and flexible pillar
It’s an incredible figure that is likely not to last, so order yours now from Sideshow Collectibles!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Premium Format Daredevil, Hot Toys Iron Man Busts Series 2
It’s Thursday, and that means new Marvel pre-orders from Sideshow Collectibles! Today they put up for pre-order a long-awaited new Premium Format Figure and eight new Iron Man armors from Hot Toys!
For the Premium Format Figure we have — Daredevil! While some classic Marvel characters like Captain America, the Red Skull, and Hulk are getting their second Premium Format statues (technically Hulk is on his 4th, not counting Skaar!) Daredevil, despite being a long-time comic book favorite and an original Stan Lee creation, has never gotten the quarter scale treatment. I have seen many people on Sideshow’s Twitter feed, Facebook page, and site comments asking when ol’ hornhead would finally get the devil’s due. The answer is today–Sideshow has finally put a Daredevil Premium Format Figure up for pre-order!
Showing the classic hero in his red outfit, Daredevil is in a striking action pose, mid-strike, holding his billy clubs in one hand and ready to throw a punch with the other. He stands 17-inches tall and weighs 12 lbs, and is expected to ship in March, 2015.
Surprisingly there is no exclusive edition of this figure. While Daredevil doesn’t have the gadgets of some heroes, I thought an unmasked portrait or swap-out hand would be a given. Even in cases where there were no accessories Sideshow would often make an exclusive edition with an art print. However there is only one version of Daredevil here. (Though, given their recent repaints of Premium Format Figures like Deadpool, Storm, the Stormtrooper, and 3 different Hulk paint jobs, I would not be surprised in 2-3 months to see a Yellow-clad Daredevil Premium Format show up in an extremely limited edition).
But if you prefer your heroes in armor, Hot Toys has 8 new Iron Man collectibles for you! Continuing to rock the House Party Protocol, Hot Toys has put up for pre-order Series 2 of their sixth-scale collectible busts. Seven of these busts are available for order individually–the Mark VII, Mark 20-Python, Mark 22-Hot Rod, Mark 23-Shades, Mark 27-Disco, Mark 28-Jack, and Mark 40-Shotgun. However if you order the set of 8 you get an exclusive bust unavailable for individual purchase–the holographic light-up Mark XLII! (is it me or does the Disco armor look like Mystique with a mohawk?) You can pre-order this set now and it’s expected to ship in January, 2015!
And as always thank you for using our affiliate links to support the Marvelicious Toys podcast!
The Next Wave of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends are Revealed
At Toy Fair International, 2014 Hasbro revealed the first three waves of their new (more expensive) Marvel Legends Infinite Series figures, those being Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy–each wave tying directly in with a theatrical Marvel film’s release. But in my interview with Dwight Stall (which you can hear in Issue 110 of the Marvelicious Toys Podcast) a secret wave of Legends was teased.
It appears we now have confirmation that wave is going to be X-Men themed, and contain several figures that were cancelled from previous waves.
We received the image on the right from Marvelicious Toys listener John Classified. A shot taken from a Japanese catalog shows the X-Men themed wave will have Magneto, Wolverine, Storm, Stryfe, Marvel NOW Cyclops, and the build-a-figure appears to be the long-awaited Jubilee!
This release makes perfect sense. Many of these figures, including Stryfe and Jubilee, were shown at the Hasbro booth display at San Diego Comic-Con. The toolings were complete, Hasbro just needed a retail outlet to distribute the figures. And with the release of the upcoming film X-Men: Days of Future Past an X-Men themed wave of figures seemed not only logical but inevitable.
More, unlike the Marvel Studios films, such as Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Avengers, where Marvel Comics and Hasbro work together to make figures representing the on-screen looks for these heroes, in recent years when 20th Century Fox puts out a Marvel movie the toys are always comic based. Hasbro only released 4 limited articulation, comic based figures to capitalize on last year’s film The Wolverine. And when I asked at Toy Fair in 2011 about figures for the film X-Men: First Class I was told that Marvel would make toys for their First Class, the comic book series, not the film.
So clearly this wave is great for X-Men fans and Legends collectors alike. I’m excited to see Hasbro finding ways to get some of these “in limbo” Legends figures out for retail.
But the final question remains…could it be possible for the Pheonix Five Cyclops to be a variant for Marvel NOW Cyclops? One can hope.
We’ll report as soon as we hear, so please follow us at Marvelicious Toys and subscribe to our podcast for all the latest updates!
New Podcast: Issue 116: C2-Tattoo
Last weekend was C2E2 in Chicago and Marjorie and Arnie were there to look at the new toys shown by Diamond Select Toys, show exclusives, toys on the floor, and more! Listen to this episode of Marvelicious Toys podcast to hear about Chicago’s biggest comic and toy convention!And from the biggest convention to the smallest Funko Marvel Toys — Mystery Minis have exploded into the marketplace. On this episode Marjorie reviews some Mini figures provided to us by show sponsor Dorkside Toys!With a Timely Review of Toy Biz X-Men teams, a chance to win a Marvel Infinite Series Wasp figure, some SDCC event news, and so much more, it’s all in this Marvelicious Toys podcast!
And hear Arnie’s reviews of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier at nowplayingpodcast.com
Listen Now: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT116.MP3
Category: Arts
May the SALES Be With You!
It’s May the 4th time again, and what started as an internet joke has become a major marketing tool for Lucasfilm and their partners to offer discounts on Star Wars items, or release new, exclusive ones! With all the news that is going to be released on the 4th, keep checking back to this page as we update with all the sales info!
And do you know of a sale we missed? E-mail us the details at show@swactionnews.com
Toys and Statues
Entertainment Earth has two sales going on! May 4th only all in-stock Star Wars Action Figures are on sale! This includes older figures, comic packs, and the new Black Series figures in both 3.75-inch and 6-inch scales! But also at Entertainment Earth all week you can get Star Wars statues and busts for 20% off. This sale includes pre-orders so get your Kotobukiya Mara Jade or your Gentle Giant Padme, Yoda, and Holiday Special Boba Fett!
Not a sale, but Sideshow Collectibles unveiled a new life-sized Star Wars statue — Yoda. This is the third life-sized item recently, added to the Han Solo in Carbonite and Boba Fett statues.
Sideshow also put up for pre-order their exclusive 1/6 Scale R2-D2 Deluxe figure. The exclusive edition comes with 3 extra accessories – a saw arm, a laser welding arm, and a spacecraft linkage arm!
Amazon.com has all their FX Lightsabers for 37% off! This is good through May 10th. Plus keep your eye on Amazon for the Black Series 6-Inch Stormtrooper which has been popping in and out of stock.
LEGO.com has another exclusive minifigure for May 4th this year — Darth Revan from Knights of the Old Republic! He is free at Lego.com with a purchase of $75 or more. You can also get a free Star Wars LEGO poster with any Star Wars LEGO Purchase.
Midtown Comics has ALL their Star Wars statues, figures, and more for 20% off May 4th only.
Rancho Obi-Wanis offering, today only, 15% off all of their fixed-price eBay auctions!
Plus Star Wars Action News sponsor Brian’s Toys has added nearly 1,000 Vintage Figures to their web site, so if you’re wanting to complete your vintage Star Wars collection now is the time! And through May 18th you can get $15 off any order at Brian’s Toys $75 or more by using coupon code 4THBWU at checkout!
Books, Comics, and Video
Dark Horse comics is again having their digital May the 4th Megabundle. This is 150 digital Star Wars comics for just $100, including series like Crimson Empire, Dark Times, and the new Star Wars series! They also have a May the 4th Kids MegaBundle for only $30 which comprises 18 comics and small books aimed at younger readers.
With Star Wars Episode 7 coming out the Star Wars Insider will have plenty of new, exclusive content. And through May 5th you can get 20% off with a subscription plus a free, exclusive T-Shirt!
Amazon also has their Star Wars DVDs and Blu Rays on sale, including the Star Wars films and the five seasons of The Clone Wars.
Amazon’s Star Wars eBooks and eComics are also on sale with tons of graphic novels for 99 cents or $1.99 and dozens of novels at discount as well (even if most of them are Legends now).
Gus Lopez and Duncan Jenkins are having a sale on their Star Wars Collectors’ books! Throughout all of May you can purchase their Price Guide for only $25, or bundle it with their guide to Star Wars Prototypes for just $50.
Clothes
Her Universe is celebrating the day with 40% off most of their Star Wars items, plus unveiling new designs and a “mystery tee”
Also Think Geek is having 20% off most of their Star Wars items including a Han in Carbonite rug, Star Wars chopsabers, their Dark Roast Coffee, Hoodies, and so, so much more!
Cufflinks.com is having 37% off all their Star Wars items on May 4th only. They have a very cool, wide selection of ties, socks, money clips, and (shocker!) cufflinks!
Amazon has some exclusive REBELS T-Shirts as well.
Hot Topic has 20% off all their Star Wars items, which is mostly T-Shirts but also some stickers, posters, car accessories, and POP Vinyl figures.
For even more Star Wars T-Shirts We Love Fine has 25% off their Star Wars T-Shirts May 4th only with coupon code MAYTHEFOURTH14
Video Games and Tech
Steam has their Star Wars gaming bundle on sale for 2/3 off, getting you 14 classic Star Wars games, including ttlefront II, Jedi Knight 1 and 2, The Force Unleashed, Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Forces, and many more for $33.99.
Sony and Microsoft also both have sales on their digital console games on their respective online stores.
If you still have a need for thumb drives (or just like cute designs) Mimoco has 20% off all their Star Wars MIMOBOTs on May 4th only.
Misc
Super 7 has a new silkscreened 16 x 20 Darth Vader poster, limited to 200, available starting today.
Check back here as we will be updating the page all day long, and if there’s a sale of note that we missed e-mail us!
Pre-Order Alert: Medicom Real Action Hero Kick-Ass (and Hit Girl)
| Are you a Marvel Movie Collector who likes Hot Toys? If so you may feel frustrated that you won’t be able to add Kick-Ass and Hit Girl to Captain America, Wolverine, and Blade with your 12-inch figure collection. Despite being published by Marvel, the comic series Kick-Ass is creator-owned and as such the figure rights were not included with Marvel’s partnership with Hot Toys. But now you can get the next best thing!
Medicom has just released for pre-order their 12-inch figure of Kick-Ass. In a good scale with the Hot Toys, this Kick-Ass figure has his baton weapons, an articulated body, and a screen accurate costume. It also has a good likeness of actor Aaron Johnson (though the mask is not removable). While I’ve never been as impressed with Medicom’s likenesses as I am with Hot Toys, it does seem Medicom has upped their game as shown with the Kick-Ass companion piece–Hit Girl. The more popular Kick-Ass movie side-kick, the Medicom figure has a very good likeness of Chloe Grace Moretz, as well as an articulated body, detailed weapons, and a screen-accurate fabric costume.
Both are available for order now at Sideshow Collectibles, so if you like Kick-Ass as part of your Marvel movies, order yours today! |
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Pre-Order Alert: eFX Collectibles Captain America Shield Replica
Update: Yesterday we posted eFX Collectibles’ new Captain America Shield. In 12 hours this product completely sold out from eFX Collectibles, however a number of these shields were reserved for eFX’s online retailers. You can still order this shield now from Entertainment Earth! Don’t miss out on your last chance to own this piece without the eBay markup!
For several years eFX has been showing off their Avengers prop replicas. Thor’s helmet and hammer, Iron Man’s mask, and Captain America’s shield. As reported on the podcast Marvelicious Toys, eFX Collectibles’ commitment to high quality delayed this shield and put its eventual release in jeopardy.
But word came down from Wondercon that this high-end prop replica is in production! It’s expected to ship in August, 2014 and the pre-orders begin today, May 1st, 2014!
The shield is a full-scale replica, measuring 24-inches in diameter. The master pattern for this item was cast from the original molds used to make the “hero” screen used prop, and those same shields were repainted and reused for The Winter Soldier film. And like the shields seen in the movie this replica is made from fiberglass and metal to provide a lightweight, durable item. Simply put, this will be the most authentic Captain America shield replica you can buy.
This eFX Collectibles release is limited to 1500 pieces, and comes with a wall display, numbered plaque, prop story and certificate of authenticity. All for the price of $599 (plus shipping and, for California residents, sales tax).
eFX Collectibles is offering two payment methods. The first 200 people to choose to pay the full amount in advance will get a shield before everyone else, part of the first shipment of this prop. Additionally they will receive a low edition number and free shipping.
Otherwise you can choose to pre-order with a $200 non-refundable deposit. A second payment of $200 will be due when the shield is in stock, and a final payment of $199 + tax and shipping will be due 30 days after payment 2.
With only 1,500 of these props available I expect they will sell out much faster than the Thor helmet and hammer. So at 9am PST hurry to eFX Collectibles’ site and get yours!
And while there be sure to check out their other collectible–the Iron Man 2 Mark V Armor Suitcase Mobile Fuel Cell! A scaled-down version of Tony Stark’s suitcase, this is a collectible with a purpose: to charge your USB devices! Inside this suitcase is a 12,000 mAh battery that can fully charge 5 iPhone 5Ss or 1 iPad Air. It can power some smartphones directly for 45 hours! And yet it still has the detail associated with an eFX Collectibles product, modeled from the original prop and 3D digital files used in the film. Plus it has 3 LEDs on the front to indicate its current power remaining. At only $99 it’s a useful device, or a great, but small, collectible to sit on display!
Both are available this morning at eFX Collectibles.
Pre-Order Alert! Sideshow Premium Format EXCLUSIVE Incredible Hulk!
He’s mean, he’s green, he’s mad, and he’s up for pre-order! It’s Sideshow’s new Incredible Hulk Premium Format Figure!
Standing over 20-inches tall and weighing 20 lbs, this Hulk is the most strongest Premium Format Figure there is!
And if you order now you can get the exclusive version with the swap-out head with a classic Hulk portrait!
So hurry and put your order in now at Sideshow Collectibles!
New Podcast: Issue 115: See the New Figures in Infinite!
Hasbro’s new MARVEL INFINITE SERIES of figures are here! A rebrand of the Marvel Universe figure line that ran from 2009 to 2013, these highly articulated, comic-inspired, collector-focused figures are back with new black cards. Three waves have already been put up for order, and the hosts of Marvelicious Toys have the first wave in hand. Grim Reaper! Hyperion! Marvel NOW Hulk! And the infinitely hard to find Wasp! Listen to find out if these is the same figure line 3.75-inch collectors have come to love! Plus you can win an Infinite Series Wasp figure! Details are on this show!Also in this episode, Marjorie and Arnie have just come from Wizard World St. Louis and are preparing to go to C2E2 this weekend. Listen to find out about the shopping, the sketch covers, and Arnie vs. The Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno!With two new Sideshow Premium Format figures, a swinging new Hot Toys figure release, a review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, discount Marvel Legends figures and more, it’s all in this jam-packed issue of the Marvelicious Toys video podcast!If you have seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier hear Arnie’s full review at nowplayingpodcast.com
Listen Now: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT115.MP3
Category: Arts
Pre-order Alert: EXCLUSIVE Amazing Spider-Man 2 Hot Toys Figure
He’s spectacular. He’s superior. He’s sensational. He’s The Amazing Spider-Man!
Up for pre-order now from Sideshow Collectibles is a brand new movie-based Spider-Man figure, showing the comic icon as he appears in the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man 2. It’s a look much closer to the web-slinger’s original comic appearance. As director Marc Webb put it, “…in the first movie, when we designed the Spider-Man suit, I wanted a suit that a kid could make out of materials he finds himself. That’s why the goggles were made of sunglasses. But they were too small; I didn’t quite understand how important those big iconic eyes were to people. This time, I threw away the idea that it had to be super-real. I thought, ‘It’s got to invoke the iconography of Spider-Man that people love.'”
Now that iconography is available to add to your collection in 1/6 scale! Standing almost 12 inches tall and with 6 pairs of hands and 30 points of articulation, this Spider-Man figure can strike all the poses you need him to! Plus he comes loaded with accessories, including multiple web props to shoot or swing from, a backpack, and a megaphone.
But if you hurry you can get your hands on the exclusive version of this Hot Toys figure, which includes an additional accessory (a plutonium canister) and an additional figure stand specifically designed with some awesome Spider-Man artwork!
And if you want to complete your Amazing Spider-Man movie figure collection, the Hot Toys figure from the first film is still in stock at Sideshow!
As always, using the links from our site or this post helps support our show, so head on over and order Spider-Man now!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles’ Exclusive Jean Gray Premium Format Figure
Perhaps the thing I like most about Sideshow Collectibles’ recent Premium Format Figures based on Marvel Comics characters is their ability to create sets. Initially Sideshow would put out some of Marvel’s most popular characters. After the “new” of the license wore off, however, the fine folks at Sideshow have endeavored to create groups of figures where a fan could buy the one character they like most, or buy entire sets to collect a team. They’ve done this with their quarter-scale statues from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve done this with their comic-based Avengers, and they’ve done it with the X-Men. Now, continuing to deepen the roster of X-Men characters comes their exclusive Jean Grey Premium Format Figure.
For fans of this founding member of the X-Men (and the original lone female character) this is an awesome standalone piece. 18-inches tall this statue shows Jean in her 90s yellow and blue outfit. Plus the exclusive edition has a swap-out head that shows her hair in the ponytail as seen in the animated TV series.
But that nod to the cartoon shows that Sideshow is savvy with their selection of characters. Previous X-Men figures Cyclops, Gambit, and Psylocke come with the matching “X” base allowing for a unified display. However their previous exclusive Rogue Premium Format really shows their commitment to the 1990s cartoon, as that figure also had an exclusive head to resemble her cartoon appearance. (Strangely, however, Sideshow’s Storm Premium Format Figure focused on her more revealing outfit and a stone base, making her the one X-Man star the 90s cartoon to not get a figure from Sideshow totally different than her animated appearance).
The exclusive Rogue goes for $800-$1000 on eBay. While it seems there are more fans of Rogue than Jean Gray (at least in her non-Phoenix attire) there’s no doubt the Sideshow exclusive version will sell fast and cost more on the secondary market. So don’t hesitate–place your order now at Sideshow Collectibles!
New Podcast: Issue 114: Captain America — [BLEEP] Yeah!
Did you see Captain America: The Winter Soldier last weekend? Along with Cap, Black Widow, and Nick Fury, new screen hero The Falcon spread his wings and showed he has the right stuff to be an Avenger! But Marvel toy collectors who want their favorite flying Falcon in figure form won’t find him in 6-inches, Hasbro has only made that figure in the smaller 3.75-inch Captain America movie line. On this week’s show Marjore, Arnie, and special guest host Jerry look at the first two waves of Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie figures. From Cap to Falcon, Winter Soldier, and Red Skull, are these kids toys or great collector items? Listen to find out!Plus we’re barely off Captain America when the hype hits hard for the next Marvel superhero hitting the big screen: The Amazing Spider-Man 2! On this show the hosts also review that movie’s 3.75-inch figure line with a light-up Electro and a tangled web of Spider-Man costumes.With a look at Hot Toys’ newest pre-orders, Sideshow’s Hulking entries in the Premium Format Figure line, and the one-of-a-kind Phoenix Five Cyclops Marvel Legends figure that sold for over $1,000 on eBay, we run down all the latest Marvel toy news on this issue of Marvelicious Toys!Note: This podcast is 100% spoiler free. There are no Captain America: The Winter Soldier spoilers, so feel free to listen! If you have seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier hear Arnie’s full review at nowplayingpodcast.com
Listen Now: http://www.marvelicioustoys.com/Podcasts/MT114.MP3
Category: Arts
PREORDER ALERT: Hot Toys Captain America and Steve Rogers Figures Set
| Hot Toys continues their line of figures from the new film Captain America: The Winter Soldier with not one but two new Steve Rogers figures!
First is Captain America in his Stealth S.T.R.I.K.E. Suit. This blue and white outfit that Steve wears in the film is based on the Commander Steve Rogers outfit from the comics. This 1/6 scale figure has a newly developed helmeted head sculpt and an outfit with embossed patterns, plus a special light blue metal shield as seen in the film. This is the vision of Captain America from the new movie and one no Hot Toys collectors should be without! The figure comes with – Nine (9) pieces of interchangeable gloved palms including: Costume: Weapon: Accessories: |
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| But Steve isn’t always in uniform, and so you can order him alone or you can order a 2 pack where we also get him in his civvies with the Steve Rogers Hot Toys figure. This has a new unmasked head sculpt which is sure to make Cap collectors happy. The previous releases had a gritted-teeth facial expression that some fans did not appreciate, so this serious-faced head sculpt is a very welcome change of pace. Plus, with all the detail Hot Toys is known for, the face has detailed wrinkles and skin texture. He also comes with an exclusive battle damaged metal shield.
The figure also includes: Four (4) pairs of interchangeable palms including: Costume: Weapon: Accessories:
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| Both figures have over 30 points of articulation and a Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie logo figure stand. And both are up for preorder now, Captain America individually or both as a set, at Sideshow Collectibles!
We know at least two more Hot Toys figures are coming from this film: Winter Soldier himself, plus Falcon, so it’s a great time to be a Hot Toys figure collector! “The price of Hot Toys is high, but it’s a price I’m willing to pay!” And also still available for pre-order are the following hot toys: Marvel Winter Soldier Marvel Sixth Scale Figure |
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PREORDER ALERT: Thor and Thor Frog from Sideshow Collectibles
Today, with the opening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in theaters, most Marvel fans have their minds on the First Avenger, but Sideshow Collectibles is bringing our attention back to the Mightiest Avenger with two new preorders of items for Thor! (would this be a preor-thor?)
First, in Sideshow’s one-quarter scale Premium Format Figure line comes Modern Age Thor. Based off Olivier Coipel’s designs for the thunder god in J. Michael Straczynski’s 2007-2009 run this figure looks as powerful as the character. From the pre-release photos Sideshow has outdone themselves with the sculpting of Thor’s metallic mail. A mixed-media piece, Thor has a fabric tunic with gold piping, but a sculpted cape guaranteed to accentuate the pose of Thor ready to strike! With the winged helmet atop his head and Mjolnir in his hand, this statue is one of the best Sideshow has revealed to date.
And it certainly has the size and heft of Thor’s hammer. The statue stands 21 inches tall and weighs 15 pounds! Surely a centerpiece for any Thor fan!
As usual, Sideshow has also put up for pre-order the exclusive edition of this statue which comes with a swap-out hand allowing Thor to wield the mighty (and giant) Odinsword. While not as iconic as the stone hammer, fans of Marvel’s Norse gods will surely snatch this up and, as always, drive the exclusive version’s secondary market cost high.
You can order the regular or exclusive Thor Premium Format Statue now at Sideshow Collectibles!
And there is also another, more unique, Sideshow item up for pre-order: the Thor Frog Diorama, with a design based off Walt Simonson’s 1980s comic where Loki turns Thor into a Frog. This statue is much smaller, standing 6 inches tall, but has a really detailed sculpt and glossy paint application. Sideshow has gone more amphibian with this statue than Gentle Giant did on their Throg mini-bust. With Thor Frog sitting on a stump holding Frogjolnir, this is a cute accent piece that will certainly draw the eye of someone viewing your display.
The Thor Frog Diorama is $99, but if you buy the diorama and the Premium Format Thor you save $20, bringing the diorama down to a really cheap $79!
So hurry and order one or both Thor products today from Sideshow Collectibles! And thank you for supporting our podcasts by using our links whenever ordering from Sideshow!
Also, some other Marvel Premium Format Figures still available from Sideshow
- Marvel Red Hulk Marvel Premium Format(TM) Figure
- Captain America – The First Avenger Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles
- Captain America Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles
- Gladiator Hulk Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles
- Apocalypse Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles
- Black Widow Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles
- Red Skull Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles
- Captain America Premium Format™ Figure by Sideshow Collectibles Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Hear a review of The Punisher Premium Format Figure on Marvelicious Toys Podcast Issue 112!
BACK UP FOR ORDER — Preorder Alert: Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends Figures
Update: Apr 1, 2014 – 20:43 These figures are again in stock so place your order now!
Update: Apr 1, 2014 – 18:16 Amazon has changed the status of all the figures to “Currently Unavailable” meaning their original allocation is likely sold out. Please keep your eyes here and follow Marvelicious Toys on Facebook or on Twitter and we’ll let you know if/when these are again available!
Original text follows:
They are the Guardians of the Galaxy. Or they’re “a bunch of a-holes.” Either way, they’re making their way to a theater near you this August in the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe film! But in June the toys for the movie are scheduled to start hitting–and the pre-orders have now begun. Right now you can order all 6 Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends figures from Amazon.com!
Already this summer Marvel movie fans and collectors have seen the crazy hunt for Legends figures. From Hasbro’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Legends line where Carnage and Toxin go for $30 and up to Captain America: The Winter Soldier toy line with Black Widow going for over $60, it’s been difficult to find these figures in stores at all. But now at Amazon you can get all six of these figures for the MSRP of $21.99, and free shipping of orders over $35 (or with Amazon Prime).
The figures that make up this Toy Line are:
From the Guardians of the Galaxy film:
Star-Lord
Rocket Raccoon
Gamora
Drax
From the Guardians of the Galaxy comic:
Plus buy all six and build Groot–the giant tree character voiced by Vin Diesel!
If the Captain America and Spider-Man Legends are any indication these will likely pre-sell out fast. Save yourself gas and time and get your order in now at Amazon.com!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Winter Soldier Movie Masterpiece Series Figure
Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys are certainly hoping to build on the hype for next week’s release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier for I cannot recall another time when they released two new Hot Toys figures in two days. Yesterday’s Captain America Golden Age Movie Promo Edition sold out in under 24 hours (Wait List is Still Available), and now to stage that awesome fight from the movie comes The Winter Soldier Hot Toys one-sixth scale Movie Masterpiece Series figure.
Standing 12-inches tall this figure has 30 points of articulation and an amazing likeness of Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier with two new heads, one masked and one unmasked with movie-accurate make-up. You also get 4 pairs of interchangable palms (the left ones are gloved), and a ton of weapons including a machine gun, remote bomb launcher, submachine gun, spike with sheath, 2 daggers, and 3 pistols. Plus a pair of goggles and a figure stand with the Winter Soldier nameplate.
While this figure is certainly not going to sell out as fast as Cap, I have no doubt that with this movie’s expectation it will sell fast, so be sure to get your order in now at Sideshow Collectibles!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles’ Red Hulk Premium Format Figure – Exclusive and Regular Editions
Sideshow’s Premium Format Figure collection is hitting hard–with a Hulk! Coming right out of Jeph Loeb’s 2008 Hulk series, the Red Hulk, later revealed to be longtime Hulk nemesis General Thunderbolt Ross irradiated, invulnerable, and mad. It’s the first of three Hulk Premium Format Figures Sideshow will be releasing in 2014!
This statue has gorgeous sculpting that fits the REd Hulk perfectly, with huge muscles and veins. It stands 20 inches tall and 20 inches wide, weighing over 18 pounds!
More, if you hurry you can get the exclusive edition that comes with a swap-out head with the yellow X on the forehead from when Rulk was hit with Thor’s hammer.
It’s expected to ship this September and the edition size is still to be determined, so don’t miss out–get your order in now at Sideshow Collectibles!
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