Swiftwind

Okay Masters of the Universe & She-Ra collectors, listen up! You absolutely have to have this one! It's She-Ra's faithful steed Swiftwind from the Master's of the Universe Classics line!

You can order it from the Big Bad Toystore for $47.99 plus S&H, Brian's Toys has it for $79.99, Amazon has them from $42 - $60, Ebay has them listing from $17.00 on up. Some of the Ebayers have Swiftwind combined with the MOTU Classic She-Ra.

I would also like to point out a cool shirt you might want to snag if you are a big She-Ra fan. ThinkGeek has it & I think it is exclusive through them. It's a two-sided She-Ra Costume Babydoll. It ranges from $20 to $21 depending on what size you need.



If you play your cards right, you could be a Princess of Power this holiday season!

New Xena Fan Video

Dutch Schaefer Sideshow Figure

Now available for $349.99, the Dutch Schaefer premium format figure from Sideshow Collectibles. This figure is available with the flexpay option, which means you can pay it out in installments of $105.00 a month. The piece is 20.5 inches tall & weighs in at 13lbs. The exclusive version comes with a separate head or "additional portrait with cigar for alternate display" as listed on the Sideshow page under the summary tab.

Funko Maleficent

These aren't my bag, but quite a few people are really into the Funko type toys. Here is my favorite Disney Villain of all time available through Entertainment Earth for $9.99. Looks like they have her available in December, but I bet you might be able to get your hands on one before then if you just google around a bit.

Captain America

I just finished watching the latest Marvel movie Captain America. Two thumbs up, five stars, excellent job Mr. Johnston! I was never a huge fan of Cap, but let me tell you, I LOVED this movie! Marvel has perfected their superhero movie. DC really needs to take a cue & learn how to keep a character true while still making the hero accessible to everyone. Red Skull was perfect, as was Cap & the rest of the characters and cast. The pacing was good and the climax was satisfying. I would have liked to see Cap punch Red Skull in the face though. That's my one complaint. It was a beautifully shot film and also had an excellent score. I cannot wait for the Avengers. I expect it to break all previous box office records.

Bow Ties Are Cool. (Not really, but whatever.)

Okay, Whovians, Thinkgeek has the Bow Tie of Bow Ties for you! The 11th Doctor's Bow Tie to be exact! Unfortunately, it looks as though they are already out of stock! However, you can get on the e-mail list to be notified when more show up. It fits necks 15-20" & when combined with any old tweed jacket & a sonic screwdriver, will complete your 11th Doctor Halloween costume! However, if you desire to have an exact replica of the 11th Doctor's jacket, you can fork over $329.99 for that at the same place, Thinkgeek. It too has sold out right now. Holy cow! Really?!



Lucky for you, Entertainment Earth has both as well. The jacket is available for $309.99 pre-order due to arrive in November & the bow tie is available to arrive in November for $29.99. Unfortunately that's after Halloween, but who cares, right?! You can dress as the Doctor any day!

The ENTIRE Jem Series on DVD! Outrageous!

Finally, all 65 episodes of Jem in one place! Rhino Entertainment had released 3 sets prior to SHOUT releasing this boxed set, but Rhino never finished out the series. Finally, not only do you get all 65 episodes in one box set, but this box set is also loaded with extras!

There are a few issues with the new set however. Apparently, past the third season, the master tapes sat on the shelf for 25 years untouched. SHOUT did what they could, but the quality is still less than perfect. Still, at least they are out there. Hopefully in the future, if sales are good, they can clean them up a little more.

Amazon.com has the box set ready to purchase right now here: JEM

The Power of the Future is in Your Hands!

Today I'm changing it up a little bit. I'm going to bring to your attention some Blu-ray & DVD releases. Some that you can go ahead & pre-order right now.

First up, the entire Captain Power series. Captain Power came out in the late 80's and dealt with some pretty serious issues. It was dark & gritty. It was also a combination of live action & computer animation. Also, in each episode there was a segment that included visual and audio material which interacted with toys produced by Mattel. My brother had one of the ships. It was pretty neat.



So, if you've never seen Captain Power or you just want to relive those post-apocalyptic storylines, make sure to head over to Amazon.com & pre-order your copy right now.

Another great 80's animated series coming to DVD is M.A.S.K. or(Mobile Armored Strike Kommand). It was a Japanese animation distributed by DIC Enterprises which was also accompanied by a toyline. Kenner toys produced 2 inch figures and vehicles that were really pretty cool. Again, head on over to Amazon.com to pick up the entire series on DVD.





If those weren't your cup of tea, hold on, I still have more! Also, now available on DVD, Skeleton Warriors. Skeleton Warriors ran 13 episodes and was by Landmark Entertainment Group. It originally aired in 1993-1994. It was one of those unfortunate shows that would have thrived in the 80's, but the 90's rejection of anything 80's or fantastical killed it. If you love fantasy good vs. evil stuff & never saw this one, you should check it out. It is also available over on Amazon.com.

Ghostbusters Demon Dogs

Just in time for Halloween, Diamond Select has unleashed the giant demon dogs from hell in the form on light up statues. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until next Halloween to use them. They are only up for pre-order right now & showing an availability of sometime in February. However, if your sweetie is into devil dogs, this will make a great Valentine's gift! These puppies are 7 inches tall and run $67.99 ea. over at Entertainment Earth.

Battlestar Galactica "Top Gun" Stein

Here's something all you fangirls & boys have been asking for. The Battlestar Galactica Top Gun Stein as used by "Kat" & "Starbuck" in the relaunched Battlestar Galactica series.

The Stein is 9 inches tall and 4 3/4 inches wide at the base. It is reasonably priced at $59.95 & available through Quantum Mechanix as well as Sideshow Collectibles.

It is a kiln fired piece with a cast metal lid & it is recommended that you hand wash it, rather than sticking it in the dishwasher to keep the hand-painted details intact.

New Dark Crystal Merchandise

Not only does Knucklebonz Products put out Rock god statues, but they also have some sweet limited edition Dark Crystal sculptures coming out. The first one shown here is the Jen statue as he prepares to heal the Dark Crystal with the crystal shard. Limited to 3000 pieces, this statue can be pre-ordered from the Knucklebonz Products homepage for $124.00. I didn't see a size on this statue anywhere on their page.



The next Dark Crystal statue is of Kira & Jen. Kira sacrificed herself to help Jen in his quest & this statue is from the moment right after the scene represented by the first statue. I also did not see a size on this statue, but it is also limited to 3000 pieces & runs $149.00 on the Knucklebonz Products homepage & is available now for Pre-order. There is no release date for either statue at this point.

Rush's Neil Peart Statue

I'm not a big Rush fan. Honestly, I'm not a fan at all, but I do appreciate & understand the amazing man that Neil Peart is. He is a drum & percussion god. If you do happen to be a Rush fan or if you are just a collector of Rock God statues, then you're going to want this one. Limited to only 3,000 copies made, this Rock Iconz statue produced by Knucklebonz Products is around 9" tall & comes on a wooden base. It is available for pre-order right now at both Entertainment Earth for $114.99 and on Kucklebonz Products homepage for $115.00.

Spartacus...Alright, Alright...I Give

I have watched two or three episodes of Spartacus & I have to admit I'm interested in seeing more, but I've been avoiding investing myself into another TV show. Spartacus is so incredibly violent. Of course, it is Rome & gladiators & all the politics & awful things that happened during that time. It isn't about a hero going around fighting for the greater good. It's gritty & dark & terrible. I tend to like more happy fantastical worlds. However, with every new interview I watch with Lucy Lawless, the more I want to watch. She's a great actress. It would be a shame to go see her in Burbank & not have any sense of her work on Spartacus. I mean, she is my second favorite actress of all time. Also, the show is written & produced by much of the same team that worked on Xena. So, why have I been avoiding? Strangely enough, naked Lucy Lawless makes me really uncomfortable.



No, seriously. I'm not sure why. T & I have also discussed the rapey parts. We do not do well with rapey stuff. Again though, it is Rome. Romans were very rapey. So, we're going to give it a go. We are just going to make sure that if at any point either of us feels icky we can fast forward. The blood & guts are fine. Swords battles are bloody. I enjoy a good sword battle. Just like I enjoy my UFC fights. Any idiot can point & shoot a gun, but swords & fists take skill. I'll let you know what we think about it as we go along.

Futurama Planet Express Blueprint Shirt

Oh yeah! ThinkGeek has this really awesome shirt available for $18.99 - $20.99 depending on what size you need. Plus, with it's purchase you rack up 225 Geek Points for other merchandise! Win Win!

Xena Warrior Princess

Many of you know how much I love Xena. I love it equally to Star Wars, which means it is extremely important. When it ended in 2001, I was pretty devastated. The ending was not what I had hoped for. I grieved for a long time. Sure it was just a TV show, but these characters had been part of my life for 6 years. Not only that, but the show led me to my partner of 15 years (15 yrs. in November 2011). We met in #Xenafan on IRC. I had a personalized license tag on my car that read "Xena" until I sold my car last October. We spent $250.00 on a Xena prop (The Amazon Epinon's belt) which at the time was more than our rent.



Xena had become part of my weekly joy.

After the show ended, I couldn't watch Xena anymore. It was just too painful. I cried for weeks. Seriously. I cried at work. I just couldn't understand why it had to end the way it did. I logged onto the MCA/Universal sponsored Xena Netforum & quickly realized I wasn't alone. There was a whole lot of anger, confusion & frustration, but mostly there was grief. This show had been empowering. It had been a show that many seem to identify with, especially when it came to the Xena & Gabrielle relationship. *SPOILERS* (Don't read the next line if you haven't seen the series ending) The ending seemed to ignore everything we had learned about revenge, vengeance & finding redemption. Xena sacrifices herself to avenge souls she had accidently caused to die & leaves her soulmate & best friend alone. She never forgave herself, finding the true peace I felt she deserved. Basically, she killed herself due to her guilt. It didn't feel like an empowering ending. It felt like a greek tragedy, which maybe that was the point. Moreover, though, it felt like a friend had died for no good reason.



Recently, my partner went on a family vacation for two weeks. I no longer had television, but I did have Netflix. I also have a couple 8 x 10's of Xena & Gabrielle in the living room & I started thinking about T & I & how we met & I wondered if I could watch Xena again. As the gods would have it, Netflix was streaming it. So, I watched one. I forgot how much I really loved Xena. I also forgot how great the writing in this silly little show was. The writing, the direction, and the acting. It is a remarkable little piece of television history. There was never anything like it, and there will never be anything like it again. It came about in a unique time & place & for me the right time & place.



T & I decided to go back & watch the whole series again from beginning to end. This time the director's cut ending. Maybe that will help. We just finished the first season last night, so we have a ways to go.

****Update******

The Director's Cut of Friend In Need is indeed much better.  When you get to the end, watch it rather than what they showed on TV.  Still, I feel like Xena felt she didn't deserve happiness.  She didn't deserve to be able to have a life free from guilt.  Only in death could she be freed.  Such a sad ending.  And to leave Gabrielle so utterly alone.  Ugh.

*****************


If you were ever on the MCA/Universal Netforums from 1996 (?) to 2001, go check out the FB page Xena Netforum. Hopefully it can serve as a sort of reunion page for all of us old timers who used to frequent the place so often.

If you have never watched Xena, don't write it off as just a silly little fantasy show. There's some really good stuff in there. Give it a shot while it's streaming on Netflix. It's way worth the journey.

She ain't your babydoll, but she can be.

Hot Toys has some amazing sculpts. This one is good. Not quite as good as some of their others, but still damn fine.

What she comes with:

Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Emily Browning as Babydoll in the Sucker Punch movie

Approximately 28 cm tall

Newly developed body with over 30 points of articulations

Realistic long, golden, implanted curly hair

Three (3) pairs of interchangeable palms with straps on right palms including:
One (1) pair of relaxed palms
One (1) pair for holding guns
One (1) pair for holding Japanese Katana
Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
One (1) set of sailor style navy blue shirt with tie and belt, and skirt
One (1) pair of long black socks
One (1) pair of navy blue high heels
One (1) pistol with accessories
One (1) magazine gun with silencer and sight
One (1) Japanese style metal Katana with case and strap
One (1) black hair band
One (1) headset
One (1) key with neck chain
One (1) pistol holster
Two (2) magazine holsters
Figure stand with Babydoll nameplate and movie logo

Here's the Specs:
12" H (304.8mm)*
Product Weight:
4.00 lbs (1.81 kg)*
Box Size:
15.00" H (381mm) x 7.00" W (177.8mm) x 7.00" L (177.8mm)*
Est. Shipping Weight:
4.00 lbs (1.81 kg)*

The Price?

$169.99 or two payments of $85.00

Where do you get her? Why right Here:

Sideshow Collectibles

Green Lantern. Meh.

This is my review of Green Lantern. If you haven't seen the film from Warner Bros., please do not read any further. Spoilers sweetie.



Let me start with the problems. First problem, dumb human bad guy. As in dumb concept or execution. Not only was it completely corny, hokey, & unnecessary, it also caused a problem. Let me back up a bit here.

We are introduced to a nerdy guy who is a brilliant scientist. He lives alone, presumably because he is too nerdy to love. His Father, the Senator, is both embarrassed & ashamed to have a scientist for a son. The hot chick in the film apparently knows him from school & seems uncomfortable talking to him, and our hero, GL, doesn't show any emotion toward him one way or the other until a battle. His students have no respect for him even though he teaches what appears to be a college freshman level class. This is a huge mistake to make in a comic film. Making fun of a nerdy scientist? Honestly, the guy seems like a pretty nice guy, trying to make his way in the world. He is infected with yellow energy after his daddy manages to pull some strings to get him in a special group studying the alien body. The special group seems to consist of him & Angela Bassett. No one else. Weak. Eventually, the guy goes mad with yellow energy. His head swells up & he eventually looks like he has a giant brain. Well, of course he does, right? Scientist = giant brain. Ugh. So, giant brain, lonely, nerdy scientist who has gone mad tries to kill everyone in the film. For no real reason. The yellow energy is supposed to be fear, but this guy kills his Dad because his Dad never thought he was good enough & a complete joke. He tries to kill Hal because Hal has always been so cool. He tries to kill the girl because she never gave him the time of day & because Hal likes her. Seriously? How is that fear? I felt bad for this character. The way he was treated was terrible & then he doesn't choose to be evil, but instead is infected. Does he ever get redeemed? Nope. He gets nothing but dead. No one seems to care or miss him.

Second problem: Parallax as the main bad guy? Really? Parallax is a pretty serious bad guy & a very important part of Hal Jordan's history. The movie Parallax was hardly that. There was no tension. I did not once feel anyone was in danger from this thing. The writing as well as the visuals fell completely flat here. I think it was a case of less would have been more. The Parallax visual was laughable. A giant head on a smoke cloud that supposedly was fear itself. Yep, not buying it. Not even for a dollar. Once Hal goes to destroy it, it takes him less than 10 minutes. It is so simple & anti-climatic that you just can't understand how thousands upon thousands of Lanterns couldn't have figured that one out. Lame.

Third problem: Lame love interest story line. Yeah, no one cares. We just want to see more OA, Kilowog, Sinestro & Lantern. More fighting. Think action movie. No stupid lame love interest stuck in just because. THIS IS SUCH A WORN OUT TIRED & BORING ADDITION TO ANY SCRIPT. Oh, and no one gives a crap about it. It was the only lame part of the Thor movie. However in Thor, it was only really 30 secs of film. It weaves in & out of GL.

Okay, now the good stuff. Ryan Reynolds. Oh yeah, he totally pulled off Hal Jordan. He was fantastic. Sinestro. Holy crap. Sinestro was freaking AMAZING. Too bad these guys didn't get a better script. The lantern glow effects were great. The suit redesign totally worked. The lantern was stupid, but it did the job. All the Green Lantern Corp looked great. Kilowog said Poozer. OA looked great. Hal flew a jet. Holy crap, Angela Bassett is in this movie! It was fun. I was entertained.

That's about it. It could have been so much better. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't anywhere near the quality that DC's competitor Marvel has been turning out. Marvel really seems to be getting it. They understand how to be loyal to the fan base, the character & build a good story to play to people who aren't fans, while DC seems to flip flop around, never being loyal to anything & treating the audience like idiots. Can't wait for Captain American, & I never even really cared for Cap, but Marvel seems to take their heroes & make them even better on screen, while DC takes characters I love & dumbs them down & makes them lame.

Sideshow Han in Carbonite

A Premium Format Figure of Han Solo trapped in Carbonite as he was hanging in Jabba the Hutt's palace. The figure has electronics embedded inside to light up han like he did when he was melting out & so that the small panels on the carbonite block also light up. It stands at 25.5" H x 12" W x 10" L, weighs in at 12 lbs. & comes in a box 28" H x 14" W & 12" H.

The price is $299.99, but does come with the flexpay option that allows you to pay it out at $100 a month.

Go check it out here: Sideshow Han in Carbonite

Sideshow Darth Maul Premium Format Figure

This is by far the coolest Darth Maul figure I have ever seen. $324.99 with a flex pay option of $108.33 a month. Limited to 1250 pieces. Cloth costume, 24.5" H x 15" W x 17" D & weighing in at 10.00 lbs. Light up lightsaber.



How can you not want this? Head over here & order the dark apprentice today!

Resident Evil's Alice

Wow! I mean, seriously, wow! I don't know who or how they are doing sculpts over at Hot Toys, but damn! They are phenomenal! Their Sarah Connor was amazing, and now, they give us Alice form Resident Evil. You recognize instantly that it is the Alice played by Milla Jovovich. Not only are Hot Toys sculpts amazing, but the clothes and accessories are also jaw-dropping.



Alice comes with: One pair of relaxed palms
One pair of palms for holding gun
One pair of palms for holding blade
One dark blue colored jacket
One black short-sleeved T-shirt
One black military vest
One pair of black leggings
One pair of light-brown leg warmers
One pair of black boots
One blade with sheath
Two Nepal knives
Two pistols
Two shotguns
Two machine guns
One baton
and a brown faux-leather gun holster with belt.



She is around 28 CM tall, and has a truetype body with 30 points of articulation. She even has a detailed skin texture. The stitching and detail to the costume/clothing is another one of the things that makes Hot Toys so amazing.



If you are a Resident Evil fan/Collector, I really don't see how you could pass this up. Well, other than not having the $164.99 they are asking for her. Sideshow is offering her with Flexpay though, so it would be split into two payments of around $82.50. I'm impressed with Hot Toys. I don't think there is a better collectible doll/figure company out there today. The time, detail & accuracy of their products are simply stunning!