9-1-00 through 10-19-00
10-19-00
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into Spencer's
I remember when those Big Mouth Billy Bass toys came out, I declared them public enemy number one. I absolutely HATED these things and swore that they could never make one that would interest me.
Then I went to Universal Studios where once again I was proved wrong. There, sitting in the Universal Studios Store was this little Beauty. The Singing Dancing Great white known as JAWS.
And that's just it too, it's not some themed rip off, it is an actual licensed product that bears the Jaws name upon it's base. It plays the Jaws theme while Segwaying into the rat pack era classic, Mack the Knife. A song some of you may remember from the little McDonalds Moon man who urged you to make it Mac Tonight back in the 80's.
Anyway, it's a cool little collectible, and as a Jaws fan I don't regret getting it in the least. The great thing is, you can also have it now because Spencer Gifts, a universal Studios company, is selling them. You can head over to your local store, or visit Spencergifts.com, where they sell them as well.
You can also see it in action first also, just click the above banner to head over to Spencergifts.com and do a search for Jaws. It should be the first thing that comes up. If you go to the items section they will have a QuickTime video for download. It's great at least just to see so check it out. Oh, and you can click the above pic for a better view of the box.
10-17-00
Late Breaking News
I just saw a commercial on USA for Shriek if you know what I did last Friday the 13th. Apparently they will be showing the film tonight at 9:00.
If you don't know what this is, this was the original plan for a horror Parody before the teams that were working on Scary Movie split. One set produced Scary Movie and the other produced this one. It should be interesting to see, and you can see it for the first time anywhere tonight on the USA network.
They will also be showing a flick that was supposed to be released into theaters this month called Cherry Falls. You can check it out Friday at 9 and get more information on USA's Shriek Week by visiting their Website.
MCFARLANE TOYS TEAMS WITH ARTISAN TO PROMOTE BLAIR WITCH WEBFEST, OCT. 18-20
In support of the Oct. 27 release of Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, McFarlane Toys and Artisan Entertainment invite you to register for Blair Witch Web fest, a ground-breaking, live, online convention that will invite participation from the worldwide community of horror and sci-fi fans, genre specialists, game developers, soundtrack artists, horror film directors and writers, actors, comic book authors and animators.
During WebFest be sure to check out the never-before-seen sketch of Todd's vision of the Blair Witch and enter to win McFarlane Toys' Movie Maniacs Series III, featuring Ash, from Army of Darkness; Snake Plissken, from Escape from L.A.; two monsters from John Carpenter's 1982 remake of The Thing; Edward Scissorhands; and The Fly. Shaft, King Kong and the 18-inch Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers figures are not included.
The three-day event begins at 9 AM (PST) Wednesday, Oct. 18 at http://www.blairwitchwebfest.com. Register now and you can enter to win the WebFest Sweepstakes. The grand prize is tickets to a Marilyn Manson concert as well as a private screening of BW2 with the musician.
Pinhead Maniac
No not the figure, not anyway, but if Les Daniels has his way, it will come soon.
Les has written me several times over the past couple of weeks, encouraging me to check out his cause. He finally impressed me with his determination by sharing his communications with Steve "The Victim" Hamady with me, and Les is one of the ones, along with Todd himself, that is working hard to get this figure made.
So I encourage you to check out his page and help him with his petitions. Pinhead was supposed to be a Series 1 Maniac, and has been kept from our grasp for far too long. Les's petitions will be going to the rights holders just to let them know that we want this figure so please participate ASAP.
CLICK HERE to help the Pinhead Movement.
10-16-00
Spencer's Does Halloween Right
Just a quick update to say that if you haven't already, you should check out Spencergifts.com for your Halloween needs. They have re-vamped their site as they do every year to feature the great selection of cool stuff for all your Halloween needs.
Just click the above banned to visit them.
10-14-00
More 18 Inch pics
The Beyond just keeps the pics coming, with even more to be added later. For now though check out some of the shots sent in by Beyond and Angelo. They are located in the Freddy and Michael Myers sections and you can access them through the menu at the bottom of this page.
Book of Shadows featured on Entertainment Weekly
Check out the latest Edition of EW for a Cover Story on the new movie BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2.
The movie has been kept under wraps for the most part and has been an enigma to Horror fans everywhere. Will it Fly, Will it Suck? Who knows, and I can honestly say after reading this article, I am more informed and I still don't know what to think. Still it gives good insight into the film so check it out.
NEW POLL
This is the first in a new series of polls I will be holding over the upcoming weeks.
The Maniacs line is in need of a Werewolf figure and we want to know who you guys think would be the best. Just head over there on your left and let us know.
10-13-00
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH
10-10-00
18 inch Pics and Updated Sections
Well, The Beyond was good enough to send us some outside shots of the new 18 inch Freddy and Michael. We should have some loose pics soon, but in the meantime, head to the index at the bottom of the page and check out the Freddy and Mike sections to see the pics.
We have also updated the Chucky section with loose pics, and fined tuned some other areas. If you see any outdated info or bugs on the page please LET US KNOW.
10-5-00
18 Inchers in Stores
The 18" Freddy and Mike are now showing up in stores. They have been sighted mainly at Mall Electronics stores right now and are selling at Babbages, Software etc., for $34.99, so head out and check your local mall.
Blade Added
Since so many people request him as a Maniac, I have added a shot of the initial lineup of Blade figures made by Toy Biz just so people know he's been done and is out there.
The cool thing is that this is one of the best figures Toy Biz had ever done, and the line is pretty collectible now due to a low shipping run and sell out. I never saw these babies on clearance.
Anyway, to see the lineup, and detailed scans of the main Blade figure CLICK HERE.
New Petitions
The section is still underway, but in the meantime hear are 3 new and worthy petitions for figures we would like to see made by McFarlane.
Stickers and Cards and Heads OH MY!
Ok, so nobody probably needs them or cares, but just because I want to be the most detailed guy around, I have added shots of the figure's heads, cards, and stickers to their respective pages. Check em out in the Series 3 Section.
9-30-00
18 Inchers Ship Out!
We got a report from the Waterboy yesterday that over on the Spawn board they announced that the 18" Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger are now shipping out so start to look for them as early as this week!
Check out the actual post by CLICKING HERE.
The Arizona Chainsaw Massacre
King 1313 sent in a report that Leatherface himself, Gunnar Hansen, will be signing Autographs at the opening of the Fear Factory haunted house in Arizona, Sept. 29-31 Fri, Sat, Sun, so stop by and get your Leatherface and a chainsaw signed!
Still Scary after all these years!
I checked out the new re release of The Exorcist last night and it is still as amazing as it ever was.
If you have never seen this classic then make sure you catch it while it's on the Big screen!
CLICK HERE to check Showtime's in your Area.
Correction
A couple of days ago when we reported on new stuff coming out, we mistakenly identified 3 Blair Witch Books, when they are actually Video Games set to be released soon. We have corrected the info on the post so be sure to check it out for more info.
9-28-00
Horror on the Rise
Today I thought I would throw out a couple of newsworthy things I have seen lately to show just how much Horror is in and the collectibles are coming.
First, from Toyfare magazine, we have a nice little preview of Aztech's
new Rock N the Box line. A very cool concept from the great sculptors
at Art Asylum. The Initial line will be Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper
and Ozzy Osborne as the Wolf man (Bark at the Moon)
What is interesting in this though is at the end of this little description, they mention that Aztech is also at work on an N the box line of Horror characters! No names are given, but with Sculpting by Art Asylum, they are guaranteed to be great!
Next,
from the Fandom Shop
Newsletter, we get a preview of some Horror Comics to be released in the
coming months, including a HALLOWEEN One
Shot that gives details into the origin of Michael Myers, including,
what happened all those years he was in the mental institution. A
MUST for Myers fans!
Also shown is another Blair Witch comic, chronicling the testaments of Rustin Parr, and Silent Screamers, Nosferatu! All should be interesting.
Lastly is a brand new trilogy of Blair Witch Video games starting with a 3 volume set featuring past incidents of the Blair Witch. Volume 1 is the story of Rustin Parr, Volume 2, The legend of Coffin Rock, and Volume 3 is the Elly Kedward Tale.
Also out will be The Book of Shadows Book, and The secret confession of Rustin Parr.
Looks like Blair Witch fans will be plenty busy in months to come..
Still Need Maniacs? Help a good guy out!
A partner here at Base 37 has had some bad luck recently and is auctioning some of his Series 3 Maniacs off to earn some Money for Bills.
He has a low Minimum, so if you still need some Maniacs and would like to help a good guy out, please check out his auction by CLICKING HERE.
He's never sold anything on Auction before, but I will vouch for him, he is a good guy and you have nothing to worry about if you buy from him.
HURRY though, it is only a 3 day auction
Thanks!
9-26-00
Silent Screamers Series 2
Severen and Nipowin chimed in with info on the Second Series of Silent Screamers that are currently in the works from Aztech Toyz.
The current line up for the Series contains Silent era versions of Frankenstein, The Golem, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Maria from Metropolis.
For some concept drawings CLICK HERE.
For those of you who watch, I don't need to remind you that the Season Premieres of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are tonight.
If you haven't watched before, now may be a good time to give it a chance, as Buffy faces off against the greatest vampire of them all, Dracula. You don't want to miss it.
I remember, I came in on watching Buffy a little late because I stereotyped it, but it really is a superb and superior show with great action and tons of plot! So give it a chance if you haven't before.
And if you like Buffy, stay tuned right after for the more mature spin-off, Angel.
9-25-00
More from Todd...
god of wine wrote in today to fill us in on Todd McFarlane's latest Post from the Spawn Message Board. Here's what he had to say about the Maniacs etc...
Everyone will get the low down on Movie Maniacs 4 when the proper
paper work has been signed. It isn't right for me to speculate on some
of the properties that we are chasing because there are always some that
get away. When we have a sense that we are getting closer either
verbally or in writing with some of the key folks we'll pass it on.
Movie maniac playsets are still something that is actively talked about.
We are just waiting for the right opportunity to bring one or more of
them out.
Remarks have been coming in on the less than stellar paint jobs on some
of the MM3 line. The answer to this is actually quite long and boring
(as it deals with the politics of each factory as well as quality
control overseas). But we continually are asking the same questions that
you are. That is why you will almost always see a slightly better
product by the end of our production run. And why unintentional
variations occur.
The Blair Witch figure or line is still being formulated. Again, as
details come in we will pass them along.
Depending on how the Flukeman Collector Club figure does (from X-Files),
that will determine whether we will make more from that series.
Spawn in Movie Maniacs, we've been thinking about it
No release date for Blair Witch yet.
Pretty Interesting stuff. I was glad to hear about the possibility of more X-Files figures if the Flukeman sells well, so everyone BUY HIM!
I was a little disappointed to hear about thoughts of Making Spawn into a Maniacs, simply because you could do this yourself with a Spawn Movie fig, and an empty marquee. This would be nice as maybe a club exclusive, but as part of a series it would just be taking the place of a more needed character.
If you have any thoughts, feel free to head over to the Discussion Board to Discuss them. To read the rest of Todd's post Click Here.
WWF fans, don't forget RAW IS WAR comes on the all new TNN starting tonight, so don't look for it on USA.
The Thing comes to the Game world
According to Gorezone, Universal Interactive Studios and Konami Corporation have announced an agreement to produce a video game based on Universal Studio's film, THE THING.
According to a press release issued by the company, the video game begins where the original movie left off and brings a whole new level of action, adventure and suspense, mixing elements from both the sci-fi and horror genre. It will be developed for multiple game consoles and handheld platforms.
9-23-00
Live Long...and Shut Yo Mouth!
This was just an amusing little detail I found on my shaft figure. Not a big Trek fan, but it made me laugh. Click the pic to see what I mean.
New Crypt and Poll
All the news from the month of August has been added to the Crypt, so if you missed anything leading up to the release of Series 3, CHECK IT OUT.
There also a NEW POLL over there to your left, check it out.
9-22-00
More on Nike's "Horror" Ad
A Couple of days ago we told you about Nikes great
new ad, starring Olympian Suzy Hamilton
,
that was pulled from Olympic airplay due to it's "Horror"
Nature.
Well, we found a pic of Nike's slasher and a quote from Suzy herself that pretty much sums up all the normal people's collective thoughts.
"I
was definitely surprised when I head NBC had decided not to run the ad.
Personally, I thought it was incredibly funny. It's a take-off on movies
like 'Scream.' I have received wonderful feedback from teenagers and
younger kids. My 10-year-old nephew keeps watching it over and over
again. He loves it.
"It's been great to see the positive feedback, and to see networks like ESPN and WB still running the ad. We didn't want to make people uncomfortable. We wanted to make people laugh. I'd do the ad again in a second."
CLICK HERE to View the ad online.
Special thanks to The 13th Member for the info.
CLICK HERE to see more stills from the ad.
New ONLINE Price Guide
Toyfare's website now has a regular Online Toy and Comic Price guide so no more edited scans on my end, which I enjoy. From now on the Guide page will lead to the new price guide which I think everyone will enjoy!
9-21-00
NEW DVD's
Lots of great new stuff is coming to DVD over the next couple of weeks. This week saw the release of the Blob Criterion DVD (the classic, not the crappy remake).
Next week is great, featuring the release of the 2 disc collectors edition of From Dusk Till Dawn, featuring Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Documentary Film, and much much more.
Also released next week are Final Destination and The Ultimate Scream Collection, both of which are packed with extra features that make them worth getting. The Scream set comes with an extra disc of just features in addition to all 3 films having the collectors series treatment. Final Destination was a box office Sleeper hit which I recommend to everyone!
Lastly, A week from Tuesday will se the release of the Nightmare before Christmas Special edition, which is cool enough itself, but it also contains 2 rare early works of Tim Burton, Vincent and Frankenweenie, which makes this disc a must for Burton fans.
You can help us out if you want to buy any of these, by clicking the link below for BUY.com, which has the best prices on DVD's and even ships them out to you days early sometimes.
Just CLICK HERE to Check out any of the above DVD's
9-20-00
US Olympian goes "Horror"
Nike unveiled a great new ad to run during the Olympics, but after receiving over 2000 complaints, NBC has pulled the ad from Olympic airplay.
The reason why I am posting about it is because the ad, entitled "Horror" is GREAT. It is a play on horror films that features US Olympian Suzy Hamilton, preparing for a bath, when she closes the medicine cabinet door to see a masked killer behind her. He revs up a chainsaw and goes for her as she takes off. after some great shots inspired by said horror films, the girl escapes as the killer becomes winded and can't keep up.
It's very funny, and one of the best ads I have seen in a while. The killer is an Homage as well, looking like Michael Myers, and carrying a chainsaw like Leatherface, and the while thing takes place in a very Friday the 13th like setting. The killer also has some of the physical actions of Jason.
Anyway, I figured if that many people were going to complain, I would at least let Nike know I liked it. Here is what they had to say in response:
Thank you for sharing with Nike your views on the new "Why Sport?" television ad titled "Horror." It has generated a very large and spirited viewer response, with consumers weighing in both positively and negatively. The intent of this ad was certainly not to offend or make light of violence, and if you have been offended by the ad, we sincerely apologize. Our goal was to clearly parody classic cinematic moments, in this particular case the extremely popular "horror" movies, to show how the benefits of being physically fit can appear unexpectedly in unusual situations. In the case of Suzy Hamilton, the US Olympian who appears in "Horror," she is the victor, not the victim. Many of our consumers have let us know they understand the ad and enjoyed it. Many others have let us know that they do not care for it at all. By the way, the NBC networks have elected to discontinue airing this ad during the Olympic broadcasts. We appreciate hearing from all sides of this issue, and thank you for taking the time to let us know how you feel. Sincerely, Nike USA Consumer Affairs
Very professional! If you would like to share your thoughts just CLICK HERE to let them know.
If haven't seen the ad just keep watching your local programming. you're bound to catch it. For a taste though, tune in today to Comedy Central's Daily Show, where they do a very funny piece on the ad.
Also featured on the show is Jamie Lee Curtis, and I must say, tuning in just to hear her cell phone ring is worth it alone.
You can catch it on Comedy Central at 10 am or 7 pm.
Don't miss it!
9-18-00
Check Yourself
Well, upon a suggestion from RAVAGE we have complied version 1.0 of The Ultimate Movie Maniacs Checklist. It has every figure, and every variation in every form that we know of and if we forgot any please feel free to let us know. In the meantime, check it out and let us know what you like, dislike, and would like to see added. Download it, print it out, or just use it online. It's part of the new interactive experience for the fans here, and there's more to come.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CHECKLIST
9-17-00
Todd Speaks Out
Like his many other commentaries recently, Todd stopped over at the Spawn board recently and made some comments on a few Ideas that have been popular with fans, as well as Series 4. Here is what Todd had to say.
MOVIE MANIACS 4: We just settled on the
master list of characters and films that we are going to add to this
line. Some are under contract already and a few more are on the way. As soon
as it is getting near completion I'll give you the inside scoop.
BEETLEJUICE: Nothing in the works for this
either. I have been trying to figure out if he belongs in the comedy
line or is he a movie maniac? The same can be said of Ghostbusters.
JOHN CARPENTER: Absolutely I am a fan of his works. No any more than others in the film business but his movies for the most part still hold up over the years.
Sounds like Todd has the wheels turning on some popular ideas. If ANYONE can get a lead on Any characters for Series 4 aside from Pinhead and Reagan, please let us know. Either way, we should hear something soon!
Special thanks to our new Board Moderator Wugmanmax for heads up.
9-15-00
The Rest are in!
We now have a complete Archive of Series 3 pics. We picked up Ash, Snake, The Things, and Shaft the other day to complete the collection.
Sorry in the delay in getting them up but they are well worth the wait!
Check em out HERE.
9-12-00
WOW, Another New Workshop!
This one is to help out all you great debaters in your time of need. Since Series 3 and many others are now being released, lots of you wonder whether you should open them or not. Well, hopefully our newest workshop will help you out.
Just CLICK HERE to check it out!
9-11-00
More Snake Pics from Max
Our good friend Wugmanmax sent some more of his great custom shots of the Snake Plissken figure. H made his own Escape from New York poster, but the rest is the real deal. Check out these great shots HERE.
9-7-00
More Shots of Series 3
Since I finally found him yesterday, I added the scans of Kong to his page. It is really a nice set, and worth picking up. I got it for only $12.99 at Toys R Us.
I also picked up the Fly and added a scan of him carded to his page..
As soon as I am lucky enough to corner an Ash and Shaft, I will have their respective scans up as well. Until then, check out the great shots of Ash and Snake, taken by our good friend Wugmanmax.
To check out all these and more check out the SERIES 3 section of the page
9-3-00
New Scans of Series 3
Well it took long enough, but at the end of a long, hard, mostly bad day, I have some scans of Series 3 to share with you guys!
Just head to the SERIES 3 section of the page to check out full scans of Snake, The Thing Creatures, and the Fly, with a Scan of Edward on card as well.
Special thanks goes out to my fellow Maniac Ken, because I only got my hands on 1 Maniac today, but Ken was good enough to let me scan the ones he picked up. I just hope EB manages to get theirs in Tuesday or so, remember, Monday is a holiday so there shouldn't be any shipping.
Anyway, what are you waiting for...
9-2-00
Yet another Variant, Signing Pics, and Death Row Discussions
Well guys, I completely forgot about another newly reported variant yesterday. It seems that their are 2 versions of Edward Scissorhands One has a Pale face and more visible scars, and the other is a more pink face. So far, the Snake variation is the only one that makes any sense. So if you're counting, the variation count on Series 3 is now up to 3.
Here are some other things I forgot about, some GREAT pics that Angelo took at the recent Coopers' town signing of Todd and Alice Cooper. Just click the 'nails for the full size pic.
If you missed Todd on Turn Ben Stein on last night, you missed a very interesting interview. There were some good glimpses into the man behind the empire and some great discussion on Death Row Marv.
There was also some great discussion on Marv on the Steve and DC Radio show this morning. They was lots of back and forth discussion for and against the toy. It was such an interesting segment that they literally had to stop talking about it to move on with the rest of the show. I E-mailed them my info in case they decide to bring it up again and need some background info on the toy since they weren't informed on it. For the record though, Steve and DC both enjoyed the Toy. You can find out more about their show at Steve and DC .com.
9-1-00
Kong Pic and another Series 3 Variant
Rheen from the Spawn board sent in this great shot of the new Kong figure with a surprising variant. It seems this Fay Wray is a sassy gal because she is draped in a Red Dress instead of the correct White color.
So make that 2 variants thusfar to Series 3
New Crow Exclusive
The Crow, creator James O'Barr's revenge-seeking gothic hero from comic books, novels and film, was one of the most popular characters in the second line of Movie Maniacs action figures from McFarlane Toys. Now he's being re-released with an entirely new diorama and packaged in a collector's fish tank. The Crow is 6 3/4 inches tall with seven points of articulation and comes with a companion crow that perches on his shoulder and a guitar.
This new Crow figure is exclusive to the following retailers: Tower Records, Virgin Entertainment, Diamond Comics, Musicland, Fandom and TNC Universe, with several other retailers pending. Look for him in early November.
Thanks to SPAWN.COM for this info.
THE CRYPT
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