Funko Pop Collection: Part #2

I am a fan of the Funko Pop figures. They are inexpensive and feature some amazing characters. if you are a fan of any show or movie, Funko has probably made a Pop of it! That being said, I really don't collect Pops, but if I do see one of a character I absolutely love, I will pick it up. My collection is not huge, but it is selective and here are a few that I would like to share with you...

Jason Voorhees from Friday The 13th

I'm gonna mention this for about the 1,000 time here, but I'm proud to say that I grew up in NJ, specifically the part of NJ where the original Friday The 13th movie was filmed. It was a great childhood and Funko Pop Jason was an absolute must have for my collection!

Rocko & Spunky from Rocko's Modern Life

Rocko's Modern Life was unquestionably my favorite Nickelodeon Cartoon back in the 90's. The cartoons were funny, witty and a little bit adult. Chokey Chicken anyone? I saw this Rocko Pop at Barnes & Noble and quickly grabbed him up. I wish they would have made the whole crew, but at least we got Rocko, Spunky and Heffer. I wonder why they never made a Filbert?

Slimer from Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is one of my all-time favorite movies. Ever since I saw it in the summer of 1985, I was hooked. As a kid I was hooked on Slimer. The ugly little spud was funny, unique and cute in a gross sort of way. He became synonymous with Ghostbusters. Anything branded Ghostbusters most likely had a picture of Slimer on it. That's how they would hook us kids and even as adults we were all clamoring for one more shot at a taste of Hi-C Ecto Cooler!   

Spider-Man from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

I know this may not be a popular take right now, but I did not care for the Amazing Spider-Man movies. I just did not feel like Andrew Garfield was Peter Parker. If you like the movies, I'm not gonna hate on you. Everyone is free to have their own opinion and this is mine. Anyway, I got this Spider-Man Pop for less than $2 on clearance at Target. The one thing I did like about the Amazing Spider-Man movies was the style of the Spider suit and this Funko Pop captures that look nicely.

Toby Armored & Gnome Chompsky from Trollhunters

Myself and my kids loved the Trollhunters series on Netflix. It became a fixture in our house on Saturday mornings. Each Saturday we would watch one episode in an attempt to recreate the magic of those 80's & 90's weekends spent watching morning cartoons. We made it through the Trollhunters series and then watched 3Below, Wizards and the finale movie Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. Guillermo del Toro created a fantastic world for these characters to play in and one of our faves was Gnome Chompsky, so my kids got me this Funko Pop for my birthday and it is amazing!

Scoops Ahoy Steve from Stranger Things

Again, I am a fan of the Stranger Things series and when Baskin Robbins joined forces with Netflix a few summer's ago it was magic. B&R pretty much turned their stores into a real life version of the Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream Shop from Stranger Things. The employees wore Scoops Ahoy uniforms, they sold Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream you could even order the U.S.S. Butterscotch sundae! As part of this alliance Baskin Robbins sold these exclusive Steve Pops at their store, so myself and the fam made a few trips and I got this Pop to commemorate this moment in pop culture. Check out a commercial for the promotion below:

2020 Halloween Movie Recap

This year, unlike years before, I decided to scroll through all the streaming services we have and compile a list of 30 movies I wanted to watch during the month of October. We made it through about 20 of them. Some nights I fell asleep early, other nights we were interrupted by restless children. It's all good though, some of my pics were winners others pretty crappy. Here is a quick recap of some of my favorite horror movie watches from 2020.

TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)

I had been meaning to see this movie since it was released in 2016, but never took the time to watch it. I am glad I waited until the Halloween season to explore this zombie apocalypse film. It was creepy, scary and the claustrophobic atmosphere of being trapped in a train with a butt-ton of flesh eating zombies just added to the fear this South Korean film brought to the table. 

The writing was fantastic and I actually had sympathy for the characters caught on the train and loathed the heartless businessman who would step over anyone to save himself. If you're a fan of the zombie genre, you really need to check this out. It is dubbed, so you have to get used to that, but otherwise an excellent flick.

PROM NIGHT (1980)

I know Prom Night is a slasher flick classic, but I never really had the desire to see this movie. I was way more into Freddy & Jason by the time this movie hit my radar. This year would be my first viewing of this 1980 horror hit and let me tell you it was entertaining. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a character named Kim who is similar to her character Laurie in the original Halloween movie. She is seen as perfect by her classmates and seems pretty innocent, but when the death of her sister years earlier comes back to haunt her, she needs to step up to defend herself. Not only is Kim able to do that, but she also cuts a mean rug on the disco floor. 

Loved those dance scenes! Tense moments, some twists and throw in Leslie Nielsen as Kim's Dad and you have a winning formula for a great 80's slasher flick!

The Ritual (2017)

The Ritual was a movie that actually was not on my list. After a few nights of watching some 1980's horror movies, my wife wanted something more recent. We decided to watch this movie about 4 men who take a trip in memory of their fallen friend. These English blokes decide to go backpacking in Sweden. While there one of them is injured and they decide to get him help by cutting through an off trail forest. Nothing bad could come from that, right? Well it does get bad from there! The movie turns to psychological scares at this point, since you never really see what begins to hunt these friends in the forbidden forest, but by the time you do see the monster it is a shock! 

This thing is massive, deadly and pretty damn cool looking. The end left me scratching my head a little as the final 2 friends are taken in by a cult as a sacrifice to this monster that they believe to be a god. It is worth a watch and I'm glad it made it's way into my queue this Halloween! 

Hobgoblins (1988)

This was one of those movies that was so bad, it was good! I knew from the beginning that this would be a Gremlins rip-off much like Munchies, but still I wanted to see these little goblins raise some havoc! You see, these magnificent monsters have been locked up in an old defunct movie studio film vault because when they landed on the lot decades before, it was discovered that they had the ability to make people live out there wildest fantasies...with deadly results! A new young security guard frees them and it's up to him and his friends to destroy these fiends! 

The acting is below average, the effects are iffy and the story is not the greatest, but damn was it a fun and extremely weird ride! On a side note, there was an after credit scene! This was probably one of the first. Can't wait to see the 2009 sequel!

Of course there were more movies watched, these were just some of the ones that stood out. Also viewed for the first time and enjoyed were Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Hubie Halloween, The Babysitter 2: Killer Queen, Hatchet and Demonic Toys.

It really was a great movie viewing season this year, but like all good things it has to come to an end and I decided this final week would be dedicated to some of the classics that I've already watched a million times, but still love like Friday The 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Monster Squad. The final film this year will be Trick 'r Treat on Halloween night. I hope your movie viewing was as enjoyable as mine this year. I can't wait to see what ends up on the list in 2021! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Halloween Comic Covers

Halloween is one of my most favorite days of the year and comic books are one of my most favorite things to collect. It's always great when two things you love can come together and make one great piece art. To me, that's what the comic book covers below represent. Some of them are directly Halloween inspired while others are creepy enough to be showcased during the spookiest of all times. This year my entire family has decided to be Ghostbusters for Halloween. Some of us are still working on our costumes and so while the rest of us wait, at least we'll have some comics to read and keep us entertained! I hope you enjoy these 13 covers from my personal collection as much as I do!

Going Home: Part 1

About two weeks ago my family and I embarked on a journey back to my home state of New Jersey. The first night we arrived we spent some time with my parents and my Mom made us a home cooked meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and a lasagna! It was delicious, but I was wanting to bring my kids to some of my favorite eating establishments from when I was growing up and the next day our first stop was the famous Blairstown Diner!

Of course this diner was famous for being one of the filming locations for the original Friday The 13th movie in 1980 and it has changed over the years, but basics stayed the same. It was a small, family owned restaurant that serves great diner food.

My kids and I looked over the menu and my twins ordered pancakes with blueberries and one with chocolate chips. My oldest daughter ordered a cheeseburger. They all enjoyed their meals and we still had enough leftovers for them to have another helping the next day for lunch.

I was torn between what I should order. When I used to come here with my dad over a decade ago, I would order the Cowboy Burger, but since I was in the Halloween mood I could not pass up the Jason Voorhees inspired fare and I went with...

THE SLASHER BURGER!!! This burger had cheeses, lettuce, tomato, pickles and a fried egg on top. I have had variations on this burger at other places before, but there is something to be said about the ambiance of a diner. It just seems to make everything taste better, especially when you visit one after 2am! 

I really enjoyed my meal much like the rest of the family and after a fun stop up the street at Footbridge park with the kids, we headed home. On the way I pointed out some other Friday The 13th locations to the kids. We passed by Hartung's General store on High Street in Hope, NJ.

And we also made time to swing by the gates of the old Moravian Cemetery on the corner of High Street and Mount Hermon Road. It had been almost ten years since I had been back home and I was soaking in every bit of it. I hope my kids enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

Back at my parent's house my brother mentioned if I had picked up one of the anniversary shirts they were selling at the diner. I must have missed them when I was there, but I said "It would have been cool to get one". My Dad said "Really?" and left the room only to come back with this shirt for me! Aren't Dads the best!

In other Jason related news, I finally found the Toony Terrors Jason Voorhees action figure at Walmart in the ITC in Flanders, NJ!!!

How I was banned from an iconic horror movie location...

I know I have probably mentioned that I grew up in Hope, NJ a million times on this blog and I am proud of that fact. For those who don't know, Hope was one of the filming locations used in the original Friday The 13th movie in 1980. I loved growing up there. One of the locations used for filming was Hartung's General Store also know as Skip's.

In the film the general store was the place where Annie goes to ask directions to Camp Crystal Lake. Everyone looks at her like she is crazy, because that's what locals do and she goes on her way to be killed by Jason's mom. The inside of the store looked pretty much the same from what I remember and changed little over the years.

Skip Hartung was the owner of the general store and was a very nice guy. I remember him always being there helping my Dad get his Pick-6 lottery tickets and newspapers with a smile. In my early years I would go there to get Ninja Turtles comics, Garbage Pail Kids cards, Gatorade and Bubble Tape! But as we got older it became a place to grab drinks, get D batteries for our boom boxes and flirt with the girls behind the counter and that's where the trouble started...

It was around 1998 and I was 17, there was a girl I went to high school with and I would visit her while she worked at the general store as often as possible. I would get some food and sometimes a shake and would just sit there and chat. One of these times, me being a stupid teenager, I scratched my name into the old wooden counter top in the store! 

So, of course the next time I went to visit this girl, I was told I was not allowed into the store by Skip's request. I totally understand why. It was a stupid thing to do and I realize that now, but at the time I thought it was dumb. I persistently pleaded my case and said that I was set up by someone who must have it in for me and eventually I was allowed back into the store. That was the kind of guy Skip was, forgiving and friendly until the day he passed away in 2012.

The current owners of Hartung's General Store have turned it into an antique store, but if you look at the windows you can still see some of the old signage from when it was an awesome piece of horror movie history and an amazing part of my life.

Halloween Movie Recap 2018: Part 1

Every October me and my wife hold a "Scary Movie Marathon". This year is no different. We try to pick a new movie or show each day that gets us ready for the Halloween season. This year the majority of movies we watched were on Netflix. Here is a short list of some of the films we watched and what I thought of them. Please don't be upset if I didn't like something you liked, we all have our own opinions and tastes in horror movie cinema.

The Boy (2016)

The Boy is the story of a Montanan named Greta who is looking to escape her abusive past by taking a nanny job in England. Upon her arrival at the house, she discovers that she will be watching over a doll by the name of Brahms. She needs to dress him, feed him and teach him. It all seems weird, but she takes the job and strange things begin to happen around the house and they all link back to the inanimate doll of Brahms. She finds out that Brahms died years ago and begins to believe the doll is a vessel for the spirit of the boy. Up to this point I was with this film. It was a little slow, but I wanted to see the payoff. Unfortunately the twist the makers of the film tried to surprise us with at the end of the movie did not pay off once the doll is smashed by Greta's former lover. It felt sloppy and lazy to me. This movie really did have a decent premise, and had a few scares in it, but ultimately it did not satisfy. I would skip this one.

Oculus (2013)

Once the credits began to roll in the intro to the film, I should have known what I was in for. One of the production companies for the film was WWE Studios. Yes the same studios that bring us Monday Night Raw is now in the business of making horror movies. To theirs and the other producers credit though, this was not a terrible movie. In short, two siblings find a mirror that they believed was the cause of their parents going crazy and killing each other. They want this mirror so they can prove their parents weren't crazy psychos, but victims of the mirrors powers. The siblings set up cameras, traps, etc to record their findings. In the end though their exposure to the mirror causes them some problems. The acting was pretty good. The cast Karen Gillan (Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica). The writing was okay and the visual effects were solid. I wouldn't say this was a great movie, but maybe once you get to the end of your Halloween movie viewing, maybe give this one a chance.

The Vault (2017)

Let me start off by saying, I had no idea this movie was a supernatural thriller! Everytime I would scroll by it on Netflix all I would see was an image of Mr. James Franco and his amazing mustache. I knew it was a bank robbery heist film, but didn't know it included hauntings and paranormal twists. Needless to say, I was very pleasantly surprised by this flick! A family of bank robbers decides to knock off  a local bank to pay off their debts, but man did they pick the wrong place. When they find the main vault only has a few thousand dollars in it, a bank employee tells them of another vault in the basement that contains millions. He didn't tell them though that this vault was the scene of a brutal robbery in the 80s! The robbers attempt to get the loot, but they each ultimately end up becoming victims to the paranormal specters that roam the old vault. The twist at the end caught me off guard and there was just enough scares and gore to keep me satisfied as a horror movie viewer. I definitely recommend this one for your holiday viewing! 

 Friday The 13th (1980)

Do I really need to explain why this movie made my list of films to watch during Halloween? I have seen Friday The 13th a million times since I was a kid and it still does the trick for me every Halloween. Plus, as I've mentioned a hundred times on this blog already...I grew up in the town where parts of the movie were filmed, so it gives me a little glimpse of my home. If you have not seen this slasher/horror classic yet, do it!