News
“Bootleg” Toys Better Than the Licensed Ones?
Any movie or pop culture enthusiast has had their share of action figures through the years and they are relatively easy to come by especially if it’s a licensed item. Just go to a big box retailer, Amazon, or even Hot Topic to get your nerd on.
But what if you really want an effigy of something that isn’t massed produced in plastic. Or if there is, it’s not really “true” to the character or thing you feel it’s supposed to represent?
If you’re like some people, you make it yourself. But is that the same thing, or is it even as valuable? Surprisingly yes.
A recent New York Times article explores the question of “Bootleg” toys and their sentimental and monetary values.
The article introduces us to Aaron Moreno an avid movie buff and collector who just wanted a figurine of a Critters alien furball or a something out of Creepshow, there wasn’t anything available at the time so he went ahead and made them himself.
Since packaging is also a part of the collectible experience Mr. Moreno sought out an artist friend to do that part of it and began selling them online to hungry collectors who bought each and every last one, sometimes selling out in only a few minutes.
To be clear these aren’t the same types of toys sold through popular companies such as NECA or McFarlane Toys. No, these are considered artisanal where the artists often take pieces from other renderings and make them into something much more personal.
Buyers are at the ready too, take for instance our cover picture made by Dan Polydoris of Deathbytoys.com. Yes, that’s packaged fog from John Carpenter’s 1980 classic The Fog. And yes, people bought it.
“It’s a joke,” Mr. Polydoris said of his cotton creations. “It’s just garbage taped to other garbage.”
That trash turned out to be a lot of people’s treasure; 100 credit card commandos shelled out $30 each for the exclusive.
You’d think the people who created the original property would be pissed, but rarely has there been a cease and desist order from a copyright lawyer to stop them.
Peter Goral, 33, makes a comfortable living off of his merchandise which he began to create back in 2007. “With a lot of the guys who collect and do this, it’s all deeply rooted in their childhoods,” he says.
These homemade figures have infiltrated television too. Adam F. Goldberg, creator of the pop culture and easter egg heavy “The Goldbergs” collects them and hides them in his show.
“I look at them as pieces of art,” Goldberg said of his bootleg horde. “I don’t collect art. This is what I collect instead.”
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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