AEIOU...and Sometimes Why

LEGO Minifigs - Series 29

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 06 May 2026 17:30:00 +0000

This past weekend, I swung by the LEGO store to see if they had the new series of blind boxed minifigs and got a little bonus!

In my local store, there's usually a little table setup by the entrance to greet customers or show off a recent set. I wasn't really paying attention because I knew what I was there for. One of the employees said "Hey, do you want a free mini-build of the Mandalorian's N-1 ship?" Of course I said, "Heck yeah!"

They also had Grogu ears but I wasn't quite feeling those.

On to the minifigs!

I can't believe they're up to series 29 with these! As usual, they had a full set on display but I didn't see the packs so I asked if they had them in store. The cashier said they're keeping them behind the counter and then pulled out a list to show me what they have in stock. Apparently a lot of people are hunting for the Bionicle figure (#3). One site that's selling individual figures has him for $15, 3x the MSRP!

Unfortunately for me, the Trash Monster (#6) is also quite popular due to his new parts and was sold out already, so I'll have to keep looking for him. But they did have the other ones I was looking for: Monster Hunter (#4) and Cute Witch (#10). I try to keep my minifig collecting in the monster/Halloween area.

Initially, I wasn't going to get this figure but seeing it in person convinced me. She's got a very Van Helsing vibe going on. Short of being an actual monster, you can't get much closer to a monster themed figure than a monster hunter! There is so much detail packed on this one! In addition to the incredible detail of her clothing, there's an assortment of vials on her right shoulder and back.

She's also got a double portrait: one smiling and one with a smirk. I love how they gave her a duster with the mini-cape. The gun is pretty cool too with a big knife slung under for the fighting gets up close and personal.

Next is Cute Witch and her cat. I've lost count of the number of witch minifigs I have! She's quite different from most of the others though with her bright colors and kitty...socks? Boots? I'm guessing they're boots. The skirt piece is a reuse of the one they had for last year's build-a-minifig witch.

She's also got two portraits: winking smile and big, happy smile. I stole the cauldron from the D&D Tasha minifig and ended up counting all my witches and this one makes number seven!

You can get a full rundown on every figure in this series at Jay's Brick Blog.

Monthly Media Recap - April 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Not much to say at the top here, so let's jump right in!

Gatchaman Progress

Only watched 2, most of the time I would have been watching this went to the new Darth Maul mini-series. Now up to: 77

Streaming

Malcolm in the Middle (2026, Hulu)

Bringing back a beloved show seems to be the "it" thing to do recently. Surprisingly, the ones I've watched have been good and do a great job of picking up the story decades later. If you're a Malcolm fan, this 4 episode mini-series is absolutely worth the watch.

Movies

The Mortuary Assistant (2026, Shudder)

I didn't watch the trailer so I had no idea this was based on a video game until I was reading up on it after watching. All I can say is, I hope the movie is more enjoyable to people that have played the game. It does start off pretty good but then takes a turn into "been there, done that" horror tropes.

Rating: 4/10

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025, Peacock)

Speaking of video game movies that I sat through...Again, hopefully game fans got more out of this than I did. The Marionette is a great design and gives the creepiest moments in the movie but we don't see it all that much. Between the plot, the good and bad animatronics, and it being two years since I saw the first one, I was a little confused as to what was going on. But at least we get Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich in a movie again...even if they don't have scenes together?

Rating: 4/10

Moving on to things I actually liked this month...

Hive (2026, Tubi)

This one took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be one kind of movie and then it turns into this weird concept that's kind of silly but also unsettling. It's definitely not something I've seen in a horror movie before. The kid actors, especially the main little girl, are all fantastic and creepy when they need to be.

Rating: 7/10

Deathstalker (2025, Shudder)

After seeing Manborg and Psycho Goreman, I will watch anything that Steven Kostanski has a hand in. He makes B-movies with the full awareness of what he's doing and winks at the audience while doing it. This is so much fun! It's over the top with plenty of practical effects. As soon as the killer fantasy metal soundtrack kicks in, you know you're in for a wild ride! It's less Conan and bit more He-Man (complete with bumbling mini-magician) which gives it a different feel than the 80s sword and sorcery films it's paying tribute to.

Rating: 7.5/10

Red Sonja (2025, Tubi)

This fantasy flick is a bit of a mixed bag. It does a good job of making up for it's low budget with decent effects but it does occasionally get slowed down by some clunky dialog scenes. I will say, they do a good job of her origin story and evolving her into the badass warrior she should be by the end. For a movie, it's okay. If this was a TV pilot, I'd be tuning in every week.

Rating: 6/10

This Month

New: 5 Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 27 Rewatch: 1

Tron in 3-2-1 Contact Magazine (1982)

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Did you sing the show theme when you read the post title? Then you remember the PBS science show 3-2-1 Contact. It's kind of funny how you can trace my growth as a human through the PBS shows I watched growing up. Contact was an instant favorite as they explored science principles in fun ways and also introduced The Bloodhound Gang, a group of teen detectives that solved crimes using science.

I could probably go on about the show but, as the title says, I'm talking about the accompanying magazine. I recently discovered there's about 90 issues uploaded to the Internet Archive. Being a fan of the show, I did get the occasional magazine and it's crazy how many covers I recognize. Me being me, I keyed in on the cover of the October 1982 issue which mashes up two of my favorite things: computers and Halloween. I was thrilled to see this "Special Computer Issue" has a story about Tron.

Tron had just come out in July, which was probably bad news for any kid just finding out about the movie in October! The article spends time with Larry Elin, one of the computer graphic artists that worked on the movie. He worked at MAGI (Mathematical Applications Group, Inc) one of the first 3D computer animation companies.

Not only was he an animator, but also the VP in charge of hiring some of the other folks that worked on the movie. He worked on the iconic vehicle sequences in the movie including the Lightcycles, Tanks, and Recognizers.

MAGI was located in NY and this page mentions how Disney execs in CA wanted to see how the effects scenes were progressing every day. They had a "computer link" to share the scenes coast to coast. I'm curious what that involved in the early 80s!

The last page of the article shows someone programming a Grid Tank into the computer. Another article in this issue features a young girl named Cori Grimm that makes computer graphics for some educational games. If you want to browse the full magazine, you can find it here.

I'll leave you off with the theme here but there's also plenty of full episodes up on YouTube if you want to dive down a nostalgia rabbit hole.

Monthly Media Recap - March 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

For an April 1st post, there's not a lot of stinkers this month!

As usual, linked titles will take you to a trailer.

Gatchaman Progress

Only watched 2. Now up to: 75

Streaming Series

Wonder Man (Disney+)

The MCU TV series can really shine when they take a chance and do something different. This isn't a "superhero" show. It's a show about a guy making his way through life that happens to have super powers. I love how they made "Wonder Man" an 80s sci-fi movie icon and that they brought back Trevor. who has no trouble stealing the scenes he's in. Looking forward to season 2!

Ted (S2, Peacock)

Simultaneously more crass than last season (hilariously so) but also balanced with an equal amount of heart. MacFarlane has said this is the last season due to the cost of the show which is really too bad because it's just so damn funny.

Movies

Project Hail Mary (2025, IMAX)

I've only really seen Gosling in Barbie and the Fall Guy and he does a phenomenal job here. His co-star is no slouch either and will likely be one for the record books. There was a lot more comedy that I was expecting which is kind of ironic as Lord and Miller were booted off Solo: A Star Wars Story for trying to make it more comedic. If you're on the fence about seeing this in a theater, do it! The little kid in me that used to stare at the moon through a telescope and wonder what was out there is glad he did.

Rating: 9/10

The Last Video Store (2023, Shudder)

The Videonomicon, a strange video tape, traps two people in a video store and forces them to face off against movie characters. I often rip on low budget horror but then there's ones like this that have something special that I thoroughly enjoy. Just about everything hits for me: the synth score, the meta movie tropes, and the knockoff fictional stereotypes of famous movie characters. Horror kids that grew up renting everything and anything in the 80s, this one's for you!

Rating: 8/10

The Running Man (2025, Paramount+)

Solid action movie with a social commentary that's a little too close to home these days. It's one of those movies where some things don't make sense if you stop and think about it, but it's also not that kind of movie and before long there's another action set piece to keep things moving.

Rating: 8/10

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021, Prime)

Speaking of movies that don't make sense... I mentioned with the first one of these how crazy it was that Someone constructed these elaborate escape rooms which must cost into the billions and that's even more true here. Not only that but it feels like things happen because that's the way they have to in order for the plot to progress. Even just the way the main characters are forced together must have taken an improbable amount of planning. Still, kind of a fun watch for the traps.

Rating: 6/10

Alligator (1980, Prime)

This is one of those movies that was always at my periphery of horror. It was always on the rental shelf, frequently saw it popup on TV but for some reason never watched despite it being one of my favorite sub genres: giant animal on the loose. It may be a B movie Jaws knockoff but they pull it off! I was surprisingly entertained for the whole thing

Rating: 7/10, not really but it was a fun watch

Alligator 2: The Mutation (1991, Prime and YouTube)

As much fun as the first one was, this direct-to-video bomb needs an MST3k treatment to get to the same level of fun. It's a poor retread of the original and everything about it is worse. The plot, the acting, the effects, you name it. At one point, the alligator is making its way through a fair and it's clear they're just shooting the snout from the side while it's on a dolly, rolling it through the crowd.

Rating: 3/10, flush it

Ready or Not (2019, Prime/Hulu)

Have you ever watched a movie that you've never seen but parts of it felt familiar? That was my experience here, very odd. Anyway, it's a pretty wild ride and if it's possible seven years later, best to go in blind. The plot becomes apparent to the audience almost immediately but the build up to the main character being let in on it and the roller coaster that follows is wonderful and the dark humor woven in is chef's kiss.

Rating: 8/10

Relaxer (2018, Shudder)

I feel secure promising you, you've never seen and will never see, another movie like this in your life. The basic plot is about a guy trying to get to the Pac-Man kill screen on New Year's Eve 1999. The whole movie takes place in his living room with the occasional visit from oddball characters. And there's some extra weird layered on top of all this. It's something you have to see for yourself because I sure as hell can't explain it! While I kind of get what they were doing and the performance of the main character was fantastic, it's just a little too out there for me...and I love Rubber!

Rating: 4/10

This Month

New: 8 Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 22 Rewatch: 0

Thundarr the Barbarian Comc Book

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

It's still pretty early in the year but I think I can safely say Thundarr the Barbarian from Dynamite is my most anticipated comic of the year!

As far as Saturday morning cartoons go, Thundarr is at the top of my list and was likely a factor in my picking up the D&D Basic rule set at that age. If, for some reason, Thundarr isn't known to you, check out the show's intro. A post-apocalyptic world combining sci-fi and fanatasy? Doesn't get much better than that!

Like many comics these days, Thundarr has multiple cover variants. The above one is my favorite since Jack Kirby himself worked on the show's production design including most of the villains, which are all memorable in their own way. Not only is in done in a very Kirdy-esque style but there's a not so subtle Kirby tribute on the cover.

The comic hooked me from the first few pages. Obviously, I'm an easy mark but even in the opening scene, they bring back a few of the bad guys Thundarr crossed paths with in the show. Being an 80s Saturday morning show, Thundarr was pretty episodic and usually dealt with a new threat each week. To see some of them pop up from the get go, told me these folks are really paying attention to the source.

If you watched the intro, you might recognize the guy on the left that appears for maybe 2 seconds.

The comic tells two stories simultaneously: The main story takes place in the present of 3994 and has Thundarr going under cover to break up a human trafficking/slavery ring. The other story is told through flashback and follows Thundarr's life as a gladiator slave leading up to him meeting Ookla and Ariel.

Despite how much I was looking forward to this, the first issue snuck by me and I only found the second issue just released a few weeks ago. This issue spends a little more time in the flashback, you get to see how Ariel ties into things, and Thundarr faces his toughest arena fight yet: Ookla the Mok!

Meanwhile, in the present day, the gang confront the Council of Wizards who are involved in the human slave trade. In classic comic tradition, these wizards have all been bested by Thundarr over the show's run and are now gathered together to bring him down! One of them activates a time portal and sends our heroes back to 1994 just moments before the runaway planet passes between the Earth and the moon, kick starting the global apocalypse from the intro!

Another thing I love about the series so far is they perfectly capture the characters, including Ariel's commentary on Thundarr's recklessness.

If you're a fan of sci-fi/fantasy that's just being introduced to Thundarr from this post, you'd probably enjoy the comic. But if you're someone that's been craving more Thundarr adventures since the 80s, I think you'll absolutely love this and find it a worthy successor to the show.

Monthly Media Recap - February 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 20:04:00 +0000

The country (world?) may be going to hell in a hand basket but I'm still here to bring the Monthly Media Recap! As usual, linked titles will take you to a trailer.

Gatchaman Progress

Only squeezed in 3 this month. Currently up to 72.

Streaming

His & Hers (2026, Netflix)

Two estranged spouses — one a detective, the other a news reporter — vie to solve a murder in which each believes the other is a prime suspect. Excellent murder mystery! And you can't go wrong with Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson as the leads, great performances.

The Muppet Show (2026, Disney+)

If this doesn't get a series order, people should be rioting! Not only did the reproduce the original Muppet theater but they also captured the essence of the original show. I think more than ever, the world needs the Muppet Show!

Movies

Uncanny Annie (2019, Hulu)

Part of Hulu's holiday horror series Into the Dark. This one has a bunch of teens playing a haunted board game on Halloween night. There's some drama among the friend group but I didn't really care. I didn't like any of them and was pretty much waiting for the body count to rise. The kills aren't anything memorable but they're okay.

Rating: 5/10

The Jester 2 (2025, Shudder)

I'm torn on this series so far. On one hand, they have some creative kills inspired by magic tricks. On the other, they keep doing something to make me not like it as much as I want. In this one, they redesigned the Jester's look (probably to get away from Art the Clown) and it just looks like a mask on a mask. At least the plot in this one is more straightforward and it falls an oddly specific sub-genre that I enjoy: kids getting roped into working with the evil.

Rating: 5/10

10/31, Part IV (2024, Tubi or watch it on YouTube)

Another entry in the Halloween horror anthology series. I went back to see what I thought of the rest and found I've only seen the first! Of the four stories, the first, Ejectdead, is my favorite. Imagine The Ring but instead of Samara, you get a Jason like slasher. There's one other tale that's memorable even if the way they carried it out didn't make a lot of sense. Overall, not bad for an indie anthology.

Rating: 4/10

The Wrecking Crew (2026, Prime)

This feels like it could be in the Fast & Furious-verse: it's loud, dumb, about family, has lots of action and for some reason I really enjoyed it. Bautista and Momoa play off each other really well, milking the "at odds buddy cop" trope for all it's worth. My two biggest issues were some sequences with painfully obvious blue screen and the unbelievable civilian collateral casualties they cause with no mention.

Rating: 7/10

Predator: Badlands (2025, Disney+/Hulu)

Some people won't like this because a Predator is the main character and it removes some of the mystery around them. Me? I've been waiting for this movie since the original AvP comics came out. Having a young Predator protagonist allows you to see there's more to them as a species. Elle Fanning is great and has a lot of lifting to do as she's the only "human" in most of the movie. Between this, Prey, and Killer of Killers, we've been blessed with some of the best Predator content since the original.

Rating: 8/10

Mrs Dex found the Six Million Dollar Man on Peacock and we're doing a series watch. I can't really call it a rewatch because there's no way I caught a lot of these when they aired. Being Gen X kids, we both have nostalgia for the show so it's interesting to go back and watch it now, especially with the gratuitous use of stock footage. Prior to the show proper, there were three made for TV movies to get Col. Austin off the ground.

The Six Million Dollar Man (1973)

I've read this is a good adaptation of the original novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin. I haven't read the book but I'm not sure how anyone saw this and said "Yes, we need more!" Steve has mental trauma from his accident and replacement parts which is understandable and is a great theme for a book. But here he's very dour and the show just isn't that much fun. The fan-made season one trailer above gives a little peek at how serious the pilot can be.

Rating: 3/10

Wine, Women, and War (1973) &The Solid Gold Kidnapping (1973)

I'm lumping these together as there's not a lot to differentiate them. They basically turned Austin into James Bond with bionics. He's got a sense of humor and even drops a couple double entendre! They're dated, as anything from the 70s will be, but they're a lot more fun to watch than the pilot. They haven't got around to using the iconic sound effects yet so it's a little weird seeing him in action without them.

Rating: 4/10 & 5/10

This Month

New: 8 Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 14 Rewatch: 0

Sid & Marty Krofft Figural Bag Clips

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Mrs. Dex got me a couple of these with my Valentine's goodies.

Some people hate the whole blind package thing but we love it here. I don't usually try to go for complete sets so picking up a few rarely results in duplicates.

But sometimes you do get ones you're not as excited for. I don't remember much about the Bigfoot & Wildboy show other than it existed. I actually thought this might be Chaka from Land of the Lost when I pulled him out. Bigfoot was huge in the 70s but I'm guessing when you talk about him and TV most people are going to think of when he was on The Six Million Dollar Man.

On the other hand, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl was probably my second favorite of the Krofft shows (just behind Land of the Lost naturally). Live action superheroes on Saturday morning weren't a rarity but unlike the other shows, EW & DG were usually squaring off against costumed villains. Plus they had those cool Electracomp bracelets and a flying car.

Other shows represented in this series are Land of the Lost (gotta get that Sleestak!), Wonder Bug, Lidsville, The Bugaloos, The Lost Saucer, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (which got a whole other series of these).

I'm hoping there's a series two to give us Fi (Ruth Buzzi) from The Lost Saucer and maybe a Doctor Shrinker.

Lost in the Longbox - Dagar the Invincible

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Back in 2018/2019 I did a few posts under the title Quarter Bin to talk about random old comics. That title never really clicked with me (even though I decided on it!) so I'm rebranding to Lost in the Longbox...and I'll probably post another one in 2033.

Today's deep pull (maybe that would be a better title?) is Tales of Sword and Sorcery Featuring Dagar the Invincible. Or just Dagar the Invincible to his friends.

Dagar was published by Gold Key from October 1972 to December 1976 for a total of 18 quarterly issues. I think I was just getting into Superfriends comics when Dagar ended so I missed out. If he'd come along a few years later when I picked up my first D&D box set and Thundarr was on TV, I'm sure I would have checked it out. I mean, look at that cover!

Issue 2 was reformatted and packaged as a give-away with bubble gum. Bazooka Joe, he ain't! I know packing a comic book with bubble gum sounds weird but if you're wondering what it would look like, here you go.

Issue 1, Page 1. That saber-tooth tiger is looking for lunch!

Dagar was written by Donald F Glut who Star Wars kids will no doubt recognize as the author of the Empire Strikes Back novelization. He was also a screenwriter for Saturday morning heavy hitters like Land of the Lost, Transformers, G.I. Joe, DuckTales, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and also created characters and lore for Masters of the Universe. How's that for a resume?

Covers and interior art was done by Dagar co-creator Jesse Santos who is best known for this book and Tragg and the Sky Gods, another Gold Key book written by Glut. Tragg, as you might guess by the name, is a prehistoric caveman. The Sky Gods are humanoid aliens so this book has a little more sci-fi to it than Dagar. Santos would go on to work in advertising to work with properties like Blackstar, Jem, and Tiny Toon Adventures.

Monsterzone has a great post showcasing Santos' work on Dagar and Tragg.

Dagar was a typical brawn over brains adventurer type contending with magic and monsters in a fantasy world. But Glut's writing is what keeps him from being a Conan knock-off. Thanks to the Wayback Machine, you can read an interview with Glut about his work on Dagar.

If you'd like to enjoy some Tales of Sword and Sorcery, head back to that first cover and give it a click.

Monthly Media Recap - January 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Before I jump into anything, I want to take a minute and dedicate this post to Will West. If you read this blog, you probably know who he is and that he had a stroke last week. I don't know him personally but he's one of the bloggers that inspires me. He's got such a great voice online and has a lot to say. I know a lot of us in the blog-o-sphere are pulling for him and hope he recovers soon. There's a GoFundMe out there to help out his wife and two girls and they're getting close to their $40k goal. More than anything, I think he's going to be pissed at having to break his weekly blogging streak.

Gatchaman Progress

Not only did I forget to log this last month, but I've only watched 5 eps since November.

Current ep: 70

Streaming

Stranger Things (S1-5, Netflix)

Usually, when a show comes back after a break, I'll find a 30 minute YouTube recap video but I know how much I loved this show and with it being the final season, I re-watched the first four seasons and am so glad I did! Not only did it make the overall story more cohesive but I got to meet the gang again and be reminded of their interpersonal dynamics. I feel like I need a whole post just to talk about the series but I'm lazy. The first couple eps of season 5 didn't quite click but once it did, I was all in. They managed to stick the landing for me. It was satisfying and emotional. I'm going to miss the Hawkins gang so I'll be diving into some of the books this year.

History of the World Part II (Hulu)

At it's best, it was okay. It probably would have been better as a movie instead of a comedy sketch type show. Does not fill me with hope for Spaceballs 2.

Movies

M3GAN 2.0 (2025, Prime)

I see why a lot of people didn't like this. I enjoyed the first one but this is is more like a whole new operating system than an upgrade. It's got a more campy tone, is more violent than I remember the first one being and also somehow feels like a superhero movie? If I saw this by itself, I'd probably like the 90s direct to video feel but as a sequel, it doesn't quite deliver what you liked about the original.

Rating: 5/10

Igniting the Spark - The Story of Magic: The Gathering (2025, Prime)

I was there at GenCon 1993 when MtG debuted and like everyone else, was instantly hooked. At least for a few years and then I got out. Anyway, this doc starts of with the founding of Wizards of the Coast and then how MtG came to be. If you've ever been into the game, I highly recommend checking this out. If you've never played but are a gamer at heart, I still think its interesting to see how a whole new genre of game was developed.

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025, Peacock)

How many freakin islands are there?! Despite the very video game plot (they need to get DNA from a water dino, an air dino, and a land dino), this was a pretty solid monster movie. There's no legacy characters to bog it down and I like the assembled by circumstance adventuring group. It may not really do anything new (other than introduce contractually obligated new dinos) but it's a fun ride that stands on its own.

Rating: 7/10

Killing Mary Sue (2025, Prime)

An action comedy that doesn't quite deliver on either premise. I'm guessing they spent most of the budget on the cast because it sure wasn't on the gunfire effects. This movie wants to be cooler than it really is and that's too bad because it could be fun if handled the right way. I'd recommend Becky and The Wrath of Becky instead of this.

Rating: 4/10

Black Phone 2 (2025, Peacock)

File this under unexpected sequels I didn't know I needed! But didn't The Grabber die in the first one? Yes, yes he did. Horror fans will not doubt draw comparisons to Freddy here but it all works for me. The psychic dream sequences have a fantastic otherworldly creepiness to them (as they should!) and I really liked how they tied it together with the first one.

Rating: 7/10

Marshmallow (2025, Shudder)

This is one of those where you should go in as blind as possible as it keeps you guessing. The kid actors are pretty good and the counselors play their slasher movie stereotypes well. This should be a good gateway horror flick for young teens that want to dip a toe in the pool...or summer camp lake.

Rating: 7/10

This Month

New: 6 Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 6 Rewatch: 0

Labyrinth Graphic Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:30:00 +0000

I got this a little while back and keep forgetting to show it off. Boom Studios did a Kickstarter for this hard cover collecting their eight issue adaptation from 2024. The cool thing about it is that it adapts the movie novelization which was written while the movie was still in production so there are a couple things here and there different from the final film.

I shelled out a little extra to get the version with the slipcase which is styled after Sarah's Labyrinth book from the movie. Boom Studios was also offering hard cover collections of their two (yes two!) Labyrinth sequel comics. I already have those and didn't feel the need to drop the extra cash to upgrade to hard covers. Of course, I also already have the comics collected here but this is THE story.

This Kickstarter version has an exclusive variant cover that won't be reprinted again. The pages are gold gilded which just adds to how it looks on a table. I like when they do stuff like this so you feel like you're really getting something special when you support them.

Speaking of something special...one of the stretch goals was this fantastic art print.

And this enamel pin was unlocked for people that backed on day one (that's me!). The campaign hit its initial $25k goal in 15 minutes! I guess there's a lot of us weirdos out there that love this movie.

I instantly fell in love with the art style. I like that it's sort of cartoony. Disney's been all about live action remakes of animated movies. I think this would be a great candidate for an animated remake of a live action movie! I'd just use the film audio and animate it.

At the back of the book are 16 pages featuring different cover art used for the individual comics.

The last six pages have character designs. There's two pages each for Sarah and Jareth and the last two have a bunch of the characters Sarah meets, including Alph and Ralph the two dog-like door guardians that pose the logic puzzle to Sarah. Bet you didn't know they had names!

I'm really happy with this one and it's going to be a great addition to my growing Labyrinth library.

Haul-iday Highlights 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 18:30:00 +0000

This used to be an annual tradition but it looks like I haven't done one since 2022. At any rate, here's a look at some of the goodies left under my holiday tree by various supernatural beings.

We'll start off with these awesome gift tags that Mrs Dex found. Perfect for me!

Sadly, this art print from Spooky Cat Press isn't a full comic magazine!

Speaking of Krampus, here's a weird plush from the Pinhead Monsters line.

Throwing this in here because it's on theme. This was a gift to myself after we saw the author, Jeff Belanger, do his "The Fright Before Christmas" show. It's just him and some slides talking about the origin of Christmas as a holiday in addition to all the weird dark folklore from different countries. Can't recommend this enough if you want to dive into the darker side of winter traditions.

A great set of figures from Disney's Haunted Mansion. All the most popular characters are here and I found it interesting that they picked the mummy to round out the set.

And to go with them, a Disney Racers Haunted Mansion Hot Rod! Love the details on this: Mdme. Leota's headstone on the front and the pipe organ in the back.

The Indy Temple Trekker is sporting the famous hat and whip. The vehicle is based on the design used for the ride vehicle from the Disneyland attraction.

While we're talking Disney, Mrs Dex got me this very cool Tron: Ares light up popcorn...bucket? container? It's pretty sizeable at just over a foot tall!

I was very excited to unwrap this Funko of one of my favorite Muppets: Pepe the King Prawn. There's not enough Pepe merch out there! And he's flocked!

Rounding things out with a pair of Star Wars card games. This Solo Solitaire game comes in a tin that looks like Han in carbonite. It's basic "Patience" solitaire with a themed deck of cards. There's a Jedi Master mode where you add two additional cards: Carbon Freeze which "freezes" the lane when it reveals, preventing you from playing or moving cards there, until you play Save Solo on it to remove it.

Finally is the Stay on Target card game, which I really wanted because it comes in that cool Death Star! Each player takes a squadron color and battles their way through Imperial defenses to take a shot at that exhaust port to score victory points.

Monthly Media Recap - December 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Well, here we are at the end of another year. This was probably my lightest month for movies since I started keeping track. I was up for watching some so bad it's good holiday horror and ended up with a lot of coal in my stocking.I have no one to blame but myself as I rarely watch trailers to see what I'm in for.

Series

IT: Welcome to Derry (HBO Max)

I'm a King fan but only know IT from its film incarnations. The series started out a little shaky but quickly gained its footing. The kid actors are all great and their performances make each one endearing. Pennywise may not be in every episode (which is good!) but when he does show up, things are bound to get horrific and/or bloody.

The Creep Tapes (S2, Shudder)

On one hand, sometimes less is better. Seeing this much of "Peachfuzz" takes a little away from the films. On the other hand, watching Mark Duplass perform this role in all its unhinged craziness is a delight.

Movies

Twas the Night (2023, Tubi)

I honestly couldn't tell you what this is about other than it's a holiday themed anthology. There's a wraparound story to supposedly tie everything together but like most of the rest of the movie, it fails to do what they want it to. I feel like the folks that made this had an idea in their heads that just didn't make it to the screen. For some reason, people in Purgatory are judged by Krampus?

Rating: 2/10

I Trapped the Devil (2019)

It's a slow burn that could have used a little more fuel for the fire. There's a lot of atmosphere in the way it's shot and the actors are very good but I feel like it would be better as a 30 or 60 minute episode of the Twilight Zone or something similar.

Rating: 4/10

Krampus vs Vikings aka Pagan Warrior (2019, Tubi and YouTube)

Hey, we have a Krampus costume and access to a castle, let's make a movie around that! Low budget, bland actors, laughable stage combat, and typos in the text opening aside, the biggest crime committed here is that Krampus is summoned by witches to help a Saxon get revenge on Viking invaders. That's not how Krampus works! There was at least one scene where the horns on his head were noticeably askew.

Rating: 3/10

I remembered the Blumhouse "Into the Dark" Hulu series of holiday horror movies so decided to try my luck in that neck of the woods...

New Year, New You (2018, Hulu)

I'm sure there's an audience for the type of movie this is, but I'm not it. I found it hard to get invested in most of the cast. It doesn't get off the ground for me until the second half and then it's a lot of chasing around in a dark house where I was never quite sure of the layout which made it difficult to keep track of what was happening where.

Rating: 4/10

A Nasty Piece of Work (2019, Hulu)

At least I ended the year with a winner! This thing has more twists than a multi-story parking garage ramp, you know the corkscrew ones? Julian Sands (channeling his best David Warner) and Molly Hagan are wonderful as a rich couple with an epic love/hate relationship. How far would you go to get that promotion?

Rating: 8/10

Letterboxd tells me I logged 93 movies this year but my on going total only shows 92. I wonder what I forgot to post about?

This Month

New: 5 Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 82 Rewatch: 10

Merry Creepmas from Blackcraft Salem

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Blackcraft in Salem is one part Goth gift shop, one part coffee house, and one part haunted attraction. I caught wind that Krampus would be there and was bringing along some seasonal specialty drinks so we just had to visit for a dose of Creepmas.

Blackcraft has been in Salem for about three years and despite me always seeing stuff about them on social media, I've never visited.

They have the distinction of having the largest witch statue in town, which you can see hanging from the ceiling here. The store is huge and there's a lot of fun stuff to see. In addition to the clothing (they have their own brand!), coffee, and other ghoulish gifts, they go all out decorating for the spooky holiday vibe.

Blackcraft is in what used to be a bank. The former teller windows have had the glass removed and serve as the checkout counter. An employee told us of a particular spot at the counter where the floor dips slightly from people standing at the teller window over the decades. Here you can see the vaults.

This life-size (not made of) gingerbread house has got a lot going on. There's some gingerbread punks running along the top and gingerbread bats hanging from the roof.

I mentioned earlier, Blackcraft is also one part haunted attraction! During the off season, you can do a walk through and take all the photos you want. During Halloween season, it gets a little more intense by turning down the lights and adding scare actors. Definitely need to check both versions out when I have time.

In the back corner of the store is Blackcraft Coffee that has a witch's cottage design aesthetic. They offer the usual coffee house drinks but also have a variety of other offerings, even a couple inspired by local personalities like the Good Witch of Salem and Borah. Aside from that, they also have seasonal specialties like gingerbread lattes and some Krampus themed hot cocoa.

They have candy and treats for sale too including these Movie S'mores with some creative name/flavor combos.

I went with "Black Christmas" which is hot cocoa with toasted marshmallows, whipped cream, and a chocolate lump of coal. It was delicious! The cocoa was really good on its own. I hate when you get it somewhere and it just doesn't give you that joy of hot cocoa.

And then we got a photo with Krampus because how do you not? He was definitely a more beastly Krampus that didn't speak and communicated in loud grunts and howls. While we were waiting for our drink orders, he stormed up to the register, grunted something, and the cashier told him they were out then he got mad and stomped away.

As usual, I've got more pics on Flickr if you want to have a look.

Merry Creepmas!

Monthly Media Recap - November 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Got a few Halloween leftovers for November and they're not the kind you want to serve up again. Linked titles will take you to a trailer.

Gatchaman Progress

Episodes watched this month: 2

Currently up to: 65

Streaming

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past (Disney+)

Don't know why they couldn't have called this season 2 but here we are. Just like the first season, there's plenty to enjoy for fans of all ages. Kids will like the funny LEGO characters and action while older fans will get a kick out of the inside jokes and seeing "what if" versions of popular characters. And you get LEGO Jaxxon! IYKYK.

Movies

;

They See You (2021, Amazon)

I'm a sucker for movies featuring an amusement park or board games. Had I watched the trailer, I probably would have passed on this. The thing that's supposed to make you want to watch the movie isn't even that interesting. The board game is just a different way to summon the bad thing instead of the usual evil book. If you're going to have a board game, there should be some kind of game element to getting rid of them. It's a little uneven in that sometimes it feels like Goosebumps and sometimes you get gore that's definitely not in that age range. If this hasn't sold you so far, there's an extremely awkward teen make out scene that made me uncomfortable to watch.

Rating: 3/10

Hide and Go Shriek (1988, Plex)

A bunch of horny high school graduates spend the night in a furniture store to do what horny teens do and...play hide and seek? What they don't know is there's an uninvited guest to their party. The acting is terrible, the majority of it is poorly lit, but at least there's some nudity. And the killer's motive is pretty out there for the time the movie was made.

Rating: 2/10, but probably a fun group watch

Fairest of them All (2025, Peacock)

The Mad Hatter kidnaps several fairy tale princesses and forces them to fight each other to the death with the winner becoming his wife. It's a fun idea but it doesn't seem like they had the budget to do it well. It gives 90s direct to video sleaze-lite. Most of the movie takes place in what I can only assume are abandoned buildings by the graffiti on the walls, which okay I get it, you don't have a lot of money but it totally kills any fantasy vibes. There's some interesting twists to the princesses having "powers" but most of them could have used some kind of stage combat lesson.

Rating: 3/10

*Wicked (2024, Amazon)

I'm glad we re-watched this before seeing the second part. With it fresh in mind, I was able to catch a lot of the call backs and themes that I definitely would not remember from the one time I saw it a year ago.

Rating: 8/10

Wicked: For Good (2025)

I don't know what's been more interesting to watch: this movie or the discourse on Threads and how many people don't get this is a separate thing from the '39 Wizard of Oz or them arguing whether it's a sequel to Wicked or just the second half. Anyway, just like the first, the performances are fantastcial and there is some truly magical CGI that reminds you that CGI can be used for eye candy and help tell the story. I think this one suffers a bit from not having the girls together as much but that's obviously a big part of the story.

Rating: 8/10

Pilgrim (2019, Hulu)

Part of Hulu's "Into the Dark" holiday horror anthology series, which I just found out is a thing so now I'm going to have to watch more of these as their time of year rolls around. This one was weird but in a good way. It doesn't make sense when I say it but the best way to describe it is a slow burn home invasion because the family doesn't realize it until it's too late. After some of the junk I started this month with, this was very entertaining.

Rating: 7/10

When We Went MAD! (2025, Amazon)

This doc about the history of Mad Magazine felt a little slow out of the gate but once it got to a certain point, it took off and was a great watch. It was also fun to see and learn about the people who made up the "usual gang of idiots." The celebrity bits are sprinkled throughout keeping the main focus on the book and staff. There's no doubt Mad is the long reigning king of satire mags but as a kid, I was always more drawn to Cracked and Crazy. If you were ever a fan, it's definitely worth a watch.

This Month

New: 6 Rewatch: 1

Year to Date

New: 77 Rewatch: 10

Rhode Island Comic Con 2025 - Odds & Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Wrapping up RICC week with miscellaneous stuff from around the con.

We'll start it off with a little time travel...

There was a separate area for The Blockbuster Experience where they assembled fixtures that were used in actual stores. Instead of renting videos, you could buy any of them for $5. They had quite an assortment of VHS, DVD, and BluRay. When you go in, you can put on a vest which is why it looks like there's so many "employees" standing around. The best part was them handing out freshly made popcorn.

On the other side of the con (not so far, far away) was my happy place where Droid Builders, The New England Rebel Legion, and the 501st gathered to raise money by donations. There were several scenes setup and a variety of members in costume available for free photo ops. Yes, that is a Dunkin' inspired mouse droid in front.

The droid area always had at least one astromech rolling around and interacting with folks.

I've never seen 4-LOM and Zuckuss done as costumes. They looked amazing!

I'll finish things off with this nostalgia shot from a vendor booth. There's so much good stuff to see here, if you want to get a better look, check out the photo on Flickr.

Speaking of Flickr, you can also view my full album of 100 RICC pics there too.

Rhode Island Comic Con 2025 - Cosplay

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Day 2 of my RICC adventures is all about costumes. If you missed the first post about RICC, check it out here.

What would a Comic Con be without people dressing up as their favorite pop culture characters? Pretty boring, I'd say! I'm just going to highlight a few of my favorites here but you can check out all my RICC pics over on Flickr.

Hands down, one of my top favorites from the whole weekend. Granny from Looney Tunes is not a cosplay I've ever seen done before and she nailed it. Speaking of classic cartoons...

The Great Gazoo! I'm always amazed at the stuff people can make.

And of course, you could find plenty of K-Pop Demon Hunter cosplayers.

I'm guessing no one had Venomized Pikachu on their cosplay bingo card! If you look inside it's mouth, you can see the person's head with a Venom mask on.

We ran into this Art the Clown furry in the parking garage.

Over the weekend, they had scheduled cosplayer meetups for different properties. It was a lot of fun to see them all gathered but the real reason for the meetup was so the con photographers could get pics for their socials. It was kind of annoying for those of us that also wanted pictures because they were in front (in the way) and constantly telling us to step back.

This Carnage was pretty impressive but I don't know how they managed to walk around.

Two of my favorite Spider-Verse characters: Spider-Ham and Spider Punk. The Were-verine was pretty awesome in person. They had a speaker rigged up so they could make snarling sounds.

Here's an Avengers only group shot. The Thor on the left had electronics in the hammer that made it look like there was lightning inside it and check out the tiny Black Widow in the bottom right.

Closing out the con on Sunday was a cosplay contest. There was one just for kids and then there was a competition in novice, intermediate, and expert levels.

This is the winner of the kid's competition. The suit has lights in the arc reactor, hands and all the jets. It's impressive but I feel like it's kind of cheating for him to be in the kid's part even if he is just a kid because of how well done the suit is.

Here's another pic to give you an idea how big the suit is.

This Doomslayer (Doom: The Dark Ages video game) took Best in Show in the main competition. I wish I'd gotten better pics of him because it's amazing head to toe. He's also carrying a rifle behind the shield.

Finally, this Assassin's Creed costume took first in the expert category and there's a lot of intricate detail you can't see here. Prior to the contest, the judges meet with each contestant to get an up close look at their work. They're looking at details as well as craftsmanship. Contestants have to submit a build sheet or book that outlines basically how they made the costume and any props.

That's a wrap on day 2, tune in on Friday for the final post!

If you want a sneak peek at what's coming up, you can check out my photo gallery on Flickr.

Rhode Island ComicCon 2025 - Celeb Sightings

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Welcome to Rhode Island Comic Con week!

Last weekend, Mrs Dex and I went to RICC. Usually, when these things come around, we go just on Saturday and end up waiting in lines most of the day for autographs and photo ops. This time, we went for the whole 3 day weekend and it was a much better experience. If you've never gone to a con on a Friday, I highly recommend it! It's easier to get around without huge crowds to battle and there's a lot less waiting in lines.

Shortly after we got checked in, I ran into John Kotrides (aka GenxJono) who I didn't know was going to be there. John is a...I'm not sure what the word would be. I hate to use "influencer" because I tend to think of that as a negative, maybe content creator? Anyway, his posts are Gen X-centric! It was a little odd at first seeing someone in real life that you only know from a screen. If you're of a certain age, you should definitely check him out on Threads and TikTok.

I hadn't even planned on getting Brian O'Halloran's autograph but he was generous with his time and fun to talk to. We got in early and there was no one at his booth. We love The Floor and ended up talking to him about his appearance on the show last season for a good 20-25 minutes.

He was more than happy to chat with us and get into some behind the scenes info on how the show is put together. Did you know they film in Ireland? Once you're eliminated, you're on your way to the airport to go home!

The biggest reason behind us going to the con was to meet some of the stars on the show Psych. Unfortunately, due to the current state of air travel, Maggie Lawson cancelled last minute. When we got Tim Omundson's autograph, he had a little fun at her expense (above). We also met Kurt Fuller and Corbin Bernsen.

We got to attend a live recording of the Psychologists are In (A Psych Rewatch) podcast, with Corbin subbing in for Maggie.

I also got to meetup with some friends from my childhood: Will and Holly from Land of the Lost! They had a panel where they talked about their experiences on the show and they led the audience in a sing-along of the show's theme song. So now I can say that I've sung the Land of the Lost theme with them. They were so much fun to listen and talk to. On the far right is Sid Krofft.

We chatted with him briefly as well while getting his autograph to tell him how much we still love these shows that were part of our childhood. He was really appreciative to hear it! He said it's been quite the thing for him to be on the road and hear the nice things people say after all this time.

Here's some other panels we saw.

The Mallrats 30th anniversary panel. There is a script for Mallrats 2 but after Shannen Doherty passed away, Kevin Smith put it on hold. Jason Lee was late to the panel because he had a long line of autographs to finish up.

Pretty in Pink with Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, and Molly Ringwald.

RICC is Jon's first con appearance and he was loving it. He donated his signing proceeds to The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth and raised $86k over the weekend!

Lastly, a Supernatural panel with Kathryn Newton, Richard Speight Jr, Rob Benedict, and Misha Collins. Kathryn was really funny. I think she qualifies as a modern day scream queen and I really should have gotten an autograph.

There were a more celebs there than I can remember but some I do recall are Charlie Cox, Michael Rooker, Katee Sackhoff, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jason Mewes (Kevin Smith cancelled) and a whole lot more. There's a pretty complete list posted here.

That's all for today but stay tuned for more this week!

If you want a sneak peek at what's coming up, you can check out my photo gallery on Flickr.

Halloween 2025 Wrap-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Because I'm not ready to let it go just yet, here's a little coda to my Halloween experience.

As is tradition, I make up goodie bags in the morning while watching YouTube compilations of Halloween TV ads from the 70s-90s. I changed it up for candy this year. Usually I get one bag of chocolate something and a second bag of non-chocolate candy. This year, I picked up some candy jewelry at Dollar Tree, Blow Pops, and a mixed bag of chocolate and other candy.

Last year, I picked up a bunch of the Halloween "fun size" Pez dispensers at post-holiday discount. I tossed those in the bags with candy and a plastic ring. I like giving the kids something extra other than candy. Their candy may be around for another week or two, but I like to think I'm giving them something to remind them of Halloween beyond that. This year, a lot of the kids were super excited that we were handing out goodie bags! I always hope that's the reaction when they empty out their haul later so it was nice to actually see their reaction.

Once darkness arrived, it was time to head into Salem. Don't worry, I left stuff on the porch for any kids that may come by.

Last year, it was a balmy 70 degrees at night! This year it was mid-50s, not "cold" by New England standards but we had quite a wind which made it a bit colder and also provided for good dramatic cape billowing as I walked around.

I have a spot that I go to outside the Peabody Essex Museum (fantastic place, a must see if you're visiting) and just hang out. For the most part, I stand still and watch people as say to their friends "is that a real guy?" Sometimes I'll move my head to follow them walking by and nod or wave.

A lot of folks stop to take a pic with me, which I take as a great compliment. I posted to a Salem Facebook group asking if anyone had pics with me because I rarely get to see them and this is one of the replies I got.

One of the best parts of the night was having a little kid, that couldn't have been more than five or six, in a full body Huggy Wuggy costume want to take a pic with me and then giving me a hug. There are adults that will actively avoid me and this kid had zero fear.

Another fun thing that happened was when someone dressed as Freddie Mercury (jeans, white tank top, and 'stache) walked by with a rolling suitcase that had a sound system inside blasting We Are the Champions. And just like that, a lot of the surrounding crowd just started singing along. It was kind of a magical, uplifting thing to hear so many people join in and have fun.

Monthly Media Recap - October 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Here we are, HALLOWEEN!

Earlier in the week it was looking like I was going to get rained out today but things are looking good for a dry, blustery autumn night! In case you're looking for something to watch (or not watch), here's what I took in this month.

Linked titles will take you to trailers.

Gatchaman Progress

Episodes watched this month: 0, had to cram in as much spooky as possible!

Currently up to: 62

Streaming

Over the Garden Wall (Hulu)

I started watching this when it originally aired and for some reason, never finished it. It's such a weird and wonderful show. It's fun and cozy but there's also an almost ever-present dread lurking. Perfect for Halloween time viewing. Rock facts!

Movies

Weapons (2025, HBO Max)

So, so, so good! It's a modern movie but was giving very 70s witchcraft vibes. Love the way they told it by jumping around to different characters perspectives. I need a sequel that shows the community reaction/news coverage after the movie ends. Totally did not recognize young Han Solo as the porn stache cop.

Rating: 8/10

V/H/S Halloween (2025, Shudder)

This is my favorite VHS yet! It's Halloween-centric, fun, creepy, and a bit more gory than I remember previous installments being. It may be stretching the found footage premise but I don't really mind because I was thoroughly entertained. I didn't feel there was one bad segment but there were definitely two that were better for me ("Fun Size" & "Home Haunt").

Rating: 8/10

Final Destination 5 (2011, HBO Max)

I didn't like any of the main characters in this one. I wish I had caught this in theaters for the 3D, I bet the opening incident looked great. It's the basically the same plot as the previous ones but the deaths are satisfying, some of them even comedic in their brutality. Excellent effects that will make you cringe in the best way.

Rating: 6.5/10

Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025, HBO Max)

I guess this is the horror movie that breaks the curse of Bloodlines guaranteeing a terrible movie. This one gets a little squirrely with how Death cleans up mistakes and will keep you guessing as to how/when the kills come. The ending isn't quite as satisfying as it should be. But it does check all the boxes: fantastic opening disaster, ridiculously intricate, brutal kills, and Tony Todd ad-libbing his final screen role (RIP).

Rating: 7/10

Cobweb (2023, Prime)

Somewhat reminded me of Babadook where the horror is more mental/trauma related and then it kind of switches gears towards the end. There's great performances all around and you really feel bad for the kid having these terrible parents. Good suspense as the mystery unravels and a few moments of genuine creepiness.

Rating: 7/10

3 Dead Trick or Treaters (2016)

This low budget anthology has a paperboy finding the graves of the titular characters, each one having a hand written horror story pinned to it that make up the different stories. The makers definitely have an eye for Halloween and the vibes are strong throughout. It's also a "silent" movie in that there is no spoken dialog, which makes for an interesting watch. This one just misses the mark for me. I wouldn't watch it again but I like what they were going for.

Rating: 5/10

Spree (2020, Hulu)

Joe Keery is a joy to watch as an unhinged wannabe social media star that will literally kill to get followers. A damn fun critique on modern influencers looking for their 15 minutes. The crazy gets ramped up with each passenger pickup until the wheels finally fall off.

Rating: 7/10

*Trick R Treat (2007, Fathom Events)

Absolutely thrilled to finally see this in a theater! Despite this being maybe only my fifth time watching it, I feel like I've seen it countless times. Every scene familiar, every character like a...well, I wouldn't want most of them as friends but you get what I'm saying. Still holding out hope that we'll get a sequel someday with as prevalent as Sam has become at Halloween time, he deserves more.

Rating: 9/10, basically impossible for me to objectively rate due to my love

Haunt Season (2024, Prime, Pluto TV)

I'm a sucker for a horror movie set in an amusement park or haunted house. Most of them aren't great and I was nicely surprised with this one. It manages to rise above by actually developing the characters and even though some of them aren't the best actors, they feel like real people instead of a future body count.

Rating: 6.5/10

R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead (2025, Tubi)

I don't know why but I was hoping for more than a Goosebumps flick. Not that it's a bad thing but mentally I was ready for something else. The scarecrow creature is definitely the star for me. It's fairly family friendly and I can see it becoming a gateway horror for the younger crowd much like the show was.

Rating: 5/10

Tron: Ares (2025)

Saved for last because I didn't want to disrupt the horror flow. I'm a pretty big Tron fan and went into this with the hope I'd at least get a extended length music video with some cool visuals. Maybe setting a low bar helped, but I actually liked it quite a bit. Jared Leto is perfectly fine as an emotionless artificially created person, it's when he starts to develop a personality that he gets creepier somehow.

The soundtrack left me kind of meh the couple times I listened to it before seeing the movie but it hit harder in the theater so I'll likely give it another listen or two to see if it vibes.

If you're a fan of the franchise, there's plenty of callbacks that will make you smile. It may not be the sequel with the characters most of us wanted but it's a decent side-quel and I'll take any new Tron I can get. If you need me, I'll be over here..burning...doing my new Tron dance.

Rating: 7/10, maybe really a 6 as a movie with 1* inflation for franchise love

This Month

New: 10 Rewatch: 1

Year to Date

New: 71 Rewatch: 9

Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - Diesel Duty

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

We've come to the finish line for the Hot Wheels of Halloween 2025. Call shotgun one last time as we hop into Diesel Duty.

This one is certainly an eyeful, ain't it? Ol' DD has been around since 2011 and this is only the 10th release for it. I don't know why it's got a sort of shark fin on it but it's cool. This is the only Halloween 2025 vehicle with glow in the dark tires.

The bed has got some interesting detail in it. I'm not going to pretend like I know what any of it is supposed to be but there's a couple of big gears and a horseshoe hitch.

Click below to visit the other Countdown blogs!

Season's Readings

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

I tried to get started on my spooky season reading in August to get in more books. I didn't get quite as many as I wanted but here's what I did read this year.

Note: All title links below are Amazon affiliated where I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Halloween Horror Anthology

Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Halloween Horror Anthology is filled with spooky stories by new trick or treaters to the big kids that know which streets give out the best candy. All of these stories capture the storytelling style of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with each author's own twist.

Does what it says on the box. It's an anthology. There's some hits, some misses, and the rest fall between but they're all Halloween-centric.

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen (Graphic Novel)

After escaping from Dr. Finkelstein and marrying her true love, Jack, Sally has become the realm's official Pumpkin Queen. But as much as she adores her skeletal husband, the spotlight of popular attention and the weight of her many new royal obligations have left Sally wondering if she might have actually just traded one form of captivity for another. To make matters worse, when Sally and Zero discover a hidden doorway leading to the previously unknown Dream Town, the resulting cascade of calamities threatens not only her new position as Pumpkin Queen, but also the very foundations of her world!

I've had the e-book sitting in my Kindle TBR for at least a year. I picked up the Graphic Novel adaptation and was so glad I did! They did an excellent job with the art and having the visuals to go with the story really added to the feeling of going back into the movie world. Looking forward to the sequel but just might wait for the graphic novel.

The Bystander: A Horror Movie LitRPG (The Game at Carousel, 1

When horror-obsessed Riley Lawrence and his group of college friends arrive in the small town of Carousel for their Centennial Celebration, the few decrepit cars parked in the street don’t scare them. But when they enter a dimmed theater, the animatronic usher hands them each a ticket, and the lights dim, Riley realizes they’ve entered the inescapable patchwork of a horror movie set. And they’ve each been assigned an archetype―Scholar, Athlete, Eye Candy, Final Girl―to play out as the curtains rise.

This was a little slow to layout the groundwork but it was fun once it got into the groove. The characters are essentially trapped in a realm of horror movies where they're expected to act their roles. But they have the meta knowledge that they're in a horror movie and have tropes (traits) to help them survive. As a horror fan, it's fun to watch them figure out how to survive. I plan on continuing the series but wanted to explore other things before Halloween.

The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night

The Pumpkin Princess and the Buried Castle

On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself. Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it.

On the other hand, I loved the first book so much, that I immediately dove into the sequel. The books are aimed at the 9-12 set but I really enjoyed them. They're not written to be scary but they have things that are usually supposed to be scary. It's sort of like Nightmare Before Christmas' Halloweentown. It's a fun kids adventure with cozy Halloween vibes.

Pick Your Own Quest: The Haunted Manor

When your great-uncle Lord Thornebury Vexley III dies, you inherit more than his creepy estate—you inherit a challenge. Spend one night inside the Haunted Manor, and the fortune (and the family name) could be yours. Sounds simple, right? Except the house is bursting with ghosts, cursed objects, and desserts that bite back. Every room forces a choice. Some draw you closer to survival; others trap you forever in portraits, endless staircases, or attics stuffed with regrets.

Obviously this is a Choose Your Own Adventure style book. I picked it up because it's using a similar font to Disney's Haunted Mansion and the similarities don't stop there. It doesn't follow the "story" of the ride but there's definitely references that fans will enjoy like instead of 999 ghosts, there's 499.

Still Reading

Thirteen Tales for Halloween

Collecting twelve original short stories first published on the seasonal Halloween blog Your Best Halloween Ever with an exclusive thirteenth story that’s unlike any other, Thirteen Tales for Halloween is filled to the brim with Halloween spirit like a jack-o-lantern candy bucket packed with tricks, treats, and a few surprises for good measure. Featuring stories with magic and frights both familiar and new, these tales are bound to become Halloween favorites that you can revisit again and again.

Almost done, I just started the 13th story this morning and I can already tell it's going to be my second favorite tale! From what I have read so far, I give it a high recommend. There's a good variation between stories and they're all great at setting a Halloween mood.

The 31st Trick-or-Treater

I posted about this last month. It's an "advent book" with each of the 31 chapters intended to be read every day in October. I'm surprised I've managed to only keep to one chapter a day so far because a couple of them end with you wanting to keep reading!

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Now Hear This - Halloween 2025: The Final Chapter

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

We might be only three days away from Halloween, but that's still plenty of time to inject some spooky tunes to your holiday playlist!

Click on the album cover to go to its Bandcamp page where you can purchase it or listen for free. I am not affiliated with Bandcamp or any of the artists, just spreading the word on good music.

Monster Mashup rises from the grave once more to deliver their 2-disc, 21st Monster Mashup compilation. Each year they put out a call to the mashup community for submissions and put it all together for the low price of free! There's a link on their page where you can grab previous year releases.

The Monster Mashup series is where I first encountered Mr Fab & His Bag O' Heads and I was surprised to see he released a greatest hits album in August. If you're looking for something different to add to your playlist, start here. I highly recommend Cannibal Zombie Mom and Skeleton Crew on the Graveyard Shift.

If you like dubstep and bass (or even if you don't!) give WiddFam's 2024 Halloween compilation a spin. You might think dubstep isn't for you but if you're reading this blog in October, it's worth a listen!

You don't stumble on to "Sounds from the Haunted Bathroom" and NOT share it with people. Put this on, close your eyes, and you'll be taken on an audio journey that may remind you of a certain Haunted Mansion..just with a few more water sounds. This is probably my favorite discovery this year. I've played it several times.

Castle Mummula from 2017 is a 5 track love letter to the films of William Castle. Somehow this 2017 release never hit my radar. If you're a hardcore Castle fan, you should be able to identify some of the movies represented on the cover.

Saturday Night Satan is an occult rock duo with some killer songs. It may not be for everyone's playlist but they've got a great 70s/80s inspired heavy metal sound.

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Halloween Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Sometimes you just need a filler post as it gets near the end of the month.

The Ill Advised Records Retro Halloween Video Special clocks in at almost 4.5 hours. It's quite the compilation of animation, local and national commercials, and television clips. I haven't watched the whole thing but what I have skimmed through, it's a blast!

Ultra Halloween VHS is more compilation gold featuring Halloween themed episodes of Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Bobby's World, and more. It also includes the live action The Halloween That Almost Wasn't starring Judd Hirsch as Dracula. Between each show are vintage Halloween commercials.

And just in case you've made it to this point in your life without seeing the Paul Lynde Halloween Special, here you go! If you weren't around in the 70s, I can't overstate who prevalent the variety show/special was on TV.

Lastly, here's the Bugs Bunny Howl-o-ween Special from 1978. If you grew up with Loony Tunes, this will no doubt bring back some good memories.

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Boxtop Pinball: Haunted House

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

I picked this up last year and meant to include it in the Countdown but never got to it. It's a fun way to bring a pinball-like experience to your table and the graphics are outstanding.

Instead of a ball, each player has their own colored dice that they flick onto the play field to try and score the most points.

Here's the view from the "launch" platform. I love that they included graphics for the coin slots and plunger. Also on each side are images of flipper buttons.

There are three tiers to the board, each with bonus areas and stand-up targets for extra points. The board design is pretty ingenious. Each level is smaller than the previous to fit inside each other when packed in the box.

There are "bumpers" (stand up panels) you can shoot for to double or triple your die score. On the left, you can see one of the little magnifying glass "clues" scattered around that have random point values hidden on the back.

Each of the monster targets sits in front of a "trap door" where you might lose your die! Once everyone has shot their dice, you reset the board to play a total of three rounds then the points are totaled to find the winner.

In my opinion, the art is what really makes the game stand out for me. It really captures the feel of classic pinball art.

Here's a quick overview of how the game is played to give you a better look at it.

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Universal Monsters Tarot Deck

noreply@blogger.com (Dex) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

I got this as a birthday gift along with last week's Classic Horror Oracle deck. Horroracle?

As you might think based on the name, this tarot deck is packed with all the big names in Universal Monsters.

Here's the card back design, guidebook, and the coffin (box) the cards rest in. The box design is a nice touch. Not something they had to do but it adds a lot to the set.

The art on the cards is fang-tastic! It's like a modern take on classic horror comics from the 50s/60s. There's a particular brand of comic it's reminding me of but the name just is not coming to me.

The classic tarot suits have been replaced: Wands are Candles, Cups are Crypts, Swords are Claws, and Pentacles are Castles. The guidebook has a few suggested layout spreads with themed names like Van Helsing's Cross and The Wolf's Moon.

Speaking of the guidebook, my hat is off to author Casey Gilly. Most guidebooks give a standard vanilla explanation of the card meanings. Gilly went way above and beyond with her descriptions, tying each into the image on the card further solidifying the theming.

Whether or not you're into tarot, this is an excellent piece for any Universal Monster fan for the art alone.

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