I’m not very familiar with ABYstyle, but they appear to have been around for quite some time. Most of the items on their website appear to be anime related, so my readers that are fans of anime might be familiar with this company. What I do know about ABYstyle is that they make a pretty awesome Harley Quinn Acryl Stand Model.
This four inch statue looks amazing! Made of durable acrylic, it comes on a single sheet and is punched out into three pieces. Harley makes up one piece, a harlequin diamond is the second, and the final piece is a DC Comics logo base. The diamond and Harley statue fit into the base.
The sheet that the pieces comes on features a cool backdrop of Gotham City. The artwork is beautiful. Overall, this is a really cool model that is easy to assemble and looks great on a shelf or on a desk. At the moment, there’s the Harley Quinn model and a Batman model as well on the ABYstyle website. The rest of the models are anime characters. Hopefully ABYstyle will add more DC characters to their lineup. I’d love to pick up a few more!
Thanks for checking out my post! See you at a convention real soon!
Director Zoe Lister-Jones guides a whole new group of weirdos in 2020’s sequel/soft reboot of the classic 1996 flick The Craft with The Craft: Legacy. The film’s surprisingly strong cast gives the old college try, but they can’t lift this film above its weak plot. Despite the thin story, however, I enjoyed this movie overall. It gives viewers who love the original film a few winks and nods but adds a new angle to the story that opens the door for big showdowns in later films.
The film feels both like its own story and a loosely connected continuation of the original. What really stands out to me is the fact that the “weirdos” in this film seem much cooler than the weirdos from the first one. These young ladies are much more confident and come across as much stronger individuals than the original coven. They also come off as a lot more powerful than the original coven.
The main witch in the film is Lily “Lilith” Schechner. She is portrayed by Cailee Spaeny. Lily and her mother, Helen (Michelle Monaghan), are moving in with Helen’s new boyfriend, Adam (David Duchovny), and his three sons, Jacob, Isaiah, and Abe (Charles Vandervaart, Donald MacLean, Jr., and Julian Gray). Lily’s story parallels the story of Sarah (Robin Tunney) from the original film. Spaeny reminded me a lot of Tunney, and this might have been purposeful, as we get a surprise cameo at the end of the film. It’s not Tunney, by the way, but I won’t spoil it for you. When Lily arrives at her new school, she quickly becomes an outcast when she has her period in class and bleeds through her pants. Ostracized by her classmates and bullied by Timmy (Nicholas Galitzine), Lily quickly bonds with three other (much cooler than they should be) outsiders named Frankie (Gideon Adlon), Tabby (Lovie Simone), and Lourdes (Zoey Luna). Those three girls also happen to be witches and Lily is the fourth sister that they’ve been needing to reach their full potential.
The newly formed coven decides to have a little fun with Timmy and cast a spell upon him that turns him into an open-minded, deeply understanding individual. This “woke” version of Timmy, as the girls refer to him as, develops an attraction to Lily and she returns his affections. When a tragedy occurs, Lily and her sisters split with one another as they believe that Lily is the cause of the horrible event. This allows the true villain to make their move. Will the sisters reunite to save the day? Watch The Craft: Legacy to find out what happens!
The film really isn’t that bad. It’s just nothing special. The cast, especially Spaeny and Galitzine, doing an amazing job with the flimsy plot. I do like how it opens up the potential of sequels having two covens square off against one another but I highly doubt that a sequel will ever be made. David Duchovny is wasted in this film. The trio of witches that Spaeny joins forces with also give solid performances.
If you’re looking for a bit of nostalgia, the film does give that in small doses to fans of the original film. Overall, though, this is pretty much a standalone flick with a weak plot and strong performances. Give it a look if you’re a fan of witchcraft films.
There really isn’t much of a plot to 1957’s 20 Million Miles To Earth. When a top secret U.S. Air Force spaceship crashes in the Mediterranean Sea, a young boy unwittingly frees a small creature from a protective case and sells it to a local doctor. The creature grows at a quick rate and in no time is larger than an elephant! It goes on a rampage across Rome while the U.S. military and local Italian police officials attempt to capture it. Sure, there’s some mention of studying the creature’s biological makeup in order to create a breathing apparatus for explorers on Venus, but that’s not why we watch a film like this. We watch it to see the creature destroy things and, boy, it definitely destroys things!
The film stars William Hopper as Colonel Robert Calder, the only survivor of the mission to Venus. He is patched up after crash landing by Marisa Leonardo (Joan Taylor), a medical student who is staying with her uncle, Dr. Leonardo (Frank Puglia), who initially purchases the creature from a little boy named Pepe (Bart Braverman, credited as Bart Bradley). Calder, the local commissario (Tito Vuolo), and others team up to catch the beast and do so on a number of occasions, only for the creature to escape and go on yet another rampage. Each rampage is worse than the last as the creature continues to grow.
While the story itself is pretty thin, it’s the special effects work of the legendary Ray Harryhausen that make this film so much better than it really is. Harryhausen lets us watch the creature battle a dog and a farmer. Then we see it have an epic battle in the streets of Rome with an elephant. All of the action reaches a pinnacle as the beast takes out legendary parts of Rome and makes its final stand at the Colosseum. Does the beast win? Watch 20 Million Miles To Earth in order to find out what happens!
Two versions of the film exist. The original released in 1957 was shot in black and white despite Harryhausen hoping for a color film. In 2007, in celebration of the movie’s fiftieth anniversary, Harryhausen teamed up with Legend Films in order to release a colorized version. There are only minor differences in the two films, but both can be purchased together or watched separately on a number of streaming services.
The film really is just okay. The only reason to watch it is to see some of Harryhausen’s best work on the screen. Harryhausen has often cited this film as his personal favorite, and it’s easy to understand why: Ymir is a beautiful creation and it was cool to see how Harryhausen created human, dog, and elephant stop motion creatures as well. The final battle alone is worth watching this film.
Have you seen 20 Million Miles To Earth? Let me know in the comments. As always, thanks for checking out my post. See you at a convention real soon!
January is ending with a bang! I’ve lined up EIGHT appearances at cons so far this year! While nothing official has been released by any of these events just yet, I wanted to let you know which conventions that I’ll be attending either as a guest, panelist, or attendee. If you want to hang out at any of these events, lemme know!
The fun starts in March with two conventions. I’ll be at CoastCon on March 1-3 in beautiful Biloxi, MS. I’ll be there representing Filmsquatch with my bud, Patrick Bennett. Once the good folks over there have ironed out their schedule, I’ll be sure to post any and every activity or panel that I’ll be hosting or working. Be sure to drop by our table and say hello! One week later I’ll be in Lafayette, LA at Louisiana Comic Con. I’ll be representing both Ken’s Alternate Universe and Filmsquatch. Keep an eye out for the schedule coming soon!
April will see me in attendance at CyPhaCon! I’ve submitted a couple of panels to the event and am waiting on confirmation. I’ll also be there as a representative of Filmsquatch! I’ll be flying the Filmsquatch banner once more at the Fouke Monster Festival in Fouke, AR on April 26-27. This will be my third year to attend this event and my second year as a member of Filmsquatch.
On May 25th, I’ll be manning the projector and volunteering at the Calcasieu Parish Short Film Festival! I’ll finally get a breather in June, but I’m open to attending your event if you’d like to have Filmsquatch or Ken’s Alternate Universe to appear! Just message me hear or through Facebook Messenger.
I get back to business in July whenever I’ll be running the projector at Calcasieu Serialfest! I always have a great time at this FREE event and I hope that you’ll join me there. The first event that I’m planning on attending where I’ll just get to hang out and be a fan is none other than the Houston Horror Film Festival! Taking place on August 9-11, HHFF has already announced an amazing lineup of guests and there are still more to come!
Last, but certainly not least, is one of my favorite events to attend. The Lake Charles Film Festival takes place on October 4-5 this year and as the new festival director, I can say that we are planning some amazing things for all of our attendees! Stay tuned for more information as it is released.
So, there ya have it. I’ll be attending eight events this year and I hope that I get to see some of you at these events. I may add more events to this list, but I’ll need your help. Let me know what events you’d like to see me at and/or get in touch with events and tell them that you want me there! I’ll do my best to attend! Thanks for reading!!!
The undisputed leader of our friends that are lost in the Realm, Hank the Ranger guides his friends with care and wisdom beyond his years. Hank uses his brains and his brawn to determine how the gang can get out of trouble. He isn’t afraid to take risks, either, and that’s just one of the many reasons that every kid growing up in the early 1980s wanted to be like him. Hank was my favorite member of the group of kids in the classic Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series, and I wished that I was just half as cool as I thought that he was.
Hasbro’s Cartoon Classic Collection has been hit and miss overall. Some of the figures don’t match up with their cartoon counterparts in looks, clothing and armor, and more. They are also all maligned by stiff joints and limited articulation due to cloaks, armor, and other items that prevent fans from posing characters in certain ways. Hank is no exception to most of these rules. The figure does look like Hank from the cartoons, but his clothing limits his articulation and much like every other figure in this line, his joints are ridiculously stiff.
Hank comes with a D8 die and two versions of his famous energy bow that fired bolts of lightning at villains. One version is a simple, uncharged longbow. The other version is fully charged and ready to fire. This is an great looking accessory, but thanks to Hank’s poor articulation, it’s very difficult to get the charged bow into a decent position to pose with Hank.
The figure looks awesome overall. I just wish that he was more poseable. He’s one of the closest looking figures in the line to his cartoon version and since he’s my favorite character from the series, I have to admit that I love seeing him on my shelf. Of all of the figures in this line, Hank is the one that I believe that all fans should add to their collection. He, along with all of the other figures in Wave One, are now available at very low prices at stores such as Ollie’s and online. If you’re a fan of these characters, get them now, as I’m sure the prices will definitely go up once the scalpers realize that there is a legitimate audience for these figures.
Thanks for checking out my final figure review from the Hasbro Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics collection. If you enjoyed this or any other review from this series, please let me know in the comments and feel free to share my posts with folks that you believe would enjoy reading them.
Bobby was the youngest adventurer in the group of kids in the classic cartoon, Dungeons & Dragons. He was also the closest in age to me at the time. Headstrong, physically strong, and afraid of being seen as weak or immature, Bobby would often rush into battle with little concern for himself. Along for the ride was Uni the Unicorn, whom Bobby befriended when the group found Uni in the Realm.
Although not listed as a two pack, Bobby & Uni could be seen as one since both characters were prominent in the cartoon. I picked up this duo as part of the initial line in Hasbro’s Cartoon Classics series along with Hank The Ranger and Diana The Acrobat. The box had minor damage on it, but looks pretty good overall.
Along with Diana, Bobby and Uni look very much like their cartoon counterparts. Bobby has amazing articulation but, as with every other figure in this line, his joints are extremely stiff. Uni has only one point of articulation, a swiveling head.
Bobby and Uni come with a D12 die and Bobby’s club. The club fits fairly well in Bobby’s hand and works best when supported by both hands. Bobby’s helmet is not removable just in case you were wondering.
Bobby and Uni will look great on display with the rest of the gang from the Realm and Venger. While he has smaller limbs like Diana, his short stature makes him easier to pose than the Acrobat. Bobby and Uni are an excellent pair of figures and they are definitely worth adding to your collection.
Thanks for checking out my post. All I have left to review is Hank The Ranger, and he was my favorite character in the entire series. After I review Hank, I’ll be revisiting a few other toy lines. I hope that you enjoy these reviews.
Quite possibly the bravest member of our group of friends in the Realm, Diana the Acrobat is always ready for a fight and willing to do anything to protect herself and her friends from danger. She wields her magic staff with fierce determination and is often called upon to lead missions in the group.
Hasbro’s Cartoon Classics figure of Diana is one of the best in the line as far as looks are concerned. She’s one of the closest to actually looking like her character from the cartoon. Diana is one of three figures in the line that I purchased in a store. This meant that I was able to pick up the least damaged box I could find with her in it. Luckily for me, there was zero damage to the box I chose.
Diana comes with a D20 die and two versions of her staff. One staff is a standard version of the fully extended staff. The second version features motion blurs to give the appearance of Diana “spinning” the staff. The motion staff is cool but I actually prefer the standard version for posing.
As I said earlier, Diana looks very much like her cartoon counterpart. The only real gripe that I have is that her hair appears shorter on the figure than I remember from the cartoon. That’s a minor gripe, however, as overall this is a really nice looking figure. Diana’s costume gives her the most articulation of any figure in the line, but she suffers from the same ridiculous joint stiffness that I’ve experienced with every figure. This makes many of her poses awkward looking and her thin legs and ankles mean that I’ll need a peg stand to keep her from falling over while on display.
Diana was an excellent character in the classic D&D cartoon series. I really like this figure for the most part. Sure, there are a few minor paint app mishaps and I’m really disappointed with the fact that she can’t stand on her own very well, but the figure is very good when compared to others in this line.
I have two figures left in this series to review, and I believe that I’ll have both of those reviews posted this weekend. After that, I’ll be reviewing a few other figures from other lines (including one BST AXN figure that I’ve been hunting for for quite some time). I’ll also take a look at some old movies, a few newer ones, and might toss in some music reviews as well. Until then, thank you for checking out my post. See you very soon!
As I continue revisiting my youth, I’ve collected all of the Dungeons And Dragons Cartoon Classics figures. The last figures that I picked up were Venger and Dungeon Master, who come in a two figure set. Even though they are the last figures that I’ve acquired in the line, I’m going to go ahead and review them now since I was excited to get these figures, but disappointed with the actual product.
Every single D&D figure that I have purchased on Amazon has arrived in a damaged box. While this dual set was the least damaged of the bunch, it was the first in which I received a damaged figure. Venger’s foot was snapped off when I opened the package. I’ve read other reviews of figures with broken parts, but this was the first one that I actually received with a damaged figure.
While we are on the subject of Venger, the figure is ridiculously stiff and difficult to pose. In all honesty, if his feet were one solid block like the Dungeon Master figure, I’d have been a lot happier. Venger has articulation similar to all of the other figures in this line, but his head cannot move due to his shoulders and his shoulders can’t move due to his shoulder pads. His legs can move thanks to the slits in the sides of his robe, but they are extremely stiff. I’m going to hot glue the poor guy’s foot back on and let him stand at the back of my display. He also feels extremely cheap despite being the tallest and biggest figure in this series. He clocks in at just over eight inches tall and features a great wingspan.
Dungeon Master is much better than Venger if you strictly want him for display. His head can’t move. His feet are one mold (which I actually like). His shoulders move and his wrists have ball joints. His paint apps are much better than Venger as well. He also has the best look of the two figures.
I do like the included background featuring the roller coaster from the classic film. The figures come with Venger’s wings (which are detachable), an extra set of hands for Venger that have an energy effect, an oversized D20 and a percentile die.
While I’m glad to have the full set of figures in this line, I’m disappointed with Venger. It’s almost as if Hasbro just decided to phone it in on the figure that could have been the best one in the series. I still need to review Hank, Diana, and Bobby and Uni. Hopefully, one of those figures will really wow me.
I have three reviews left in this series. Thanks for reading this one. I hope that you’ve found these reviews to be informative. See you next time!
If anyone on the classic Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was the perfect embodiment of low self-esteem, high intelligence, and a heaping dose of awkwardness, it was Presto the Magician. Presto was a typical 1980s nerd and most viewers of the cartoon likely identified with him. I did somewhat, but I believe that I have more of Eric the Cavalier in me than Presto. Presto would bungle his magic most of the time, but he also did some pretty amazing things that saved him, his friends, and their allies.
Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon Classics: Presto The Magician action figure is pretty good. The likeness to Presto from the cartoon is okay, but not as good as the Sheila figure from the same wave. The colors on the figure, especially Presto’s green robe and hat, are brilliant.
Presto comes with quite possibly the most accessories. He’s packed with four accessories and a four-sided die. Included are a small purple magic “burst,” a larger purple burst with a trail of energy, a second hairpiece, and Presto’s signature floppy hat. Presto’s hair can be removed and replaced with the second hairpiece. This allows you to put the floppy hat on Presto. Both magic bursts can be attached to the hat as well to mimic Presto casting a spell. The burst with the energy trail can also be connected to Presto’s wrist.
Like every other figure in this series, Presto is maligned with stiff joints and limited articulation. Presto may have the most hindered articulation of all of the figures, as his robe, despite have slits on the side, prevent his legs from moving around very much. Despite this, Presto still looks great on a shelf.
In what appears to be a trend with all of these figures acquired from Amazon, Presto arrived in a damaged box. Thankfully, no parts were missing and the figure was intact. The box features excellent artwork on the front and side and a photo of Presto and his accessories on the back along with photos of Eric and Sheila.
I really like this Presto figure. I love the colors and the accessories. I also love how Presto looks on a shelf. He really draws your attention when you walk into a room. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this look at Presto, and I thank you for checking out my review.
Always ready with a sarcastic suggestion or a cowardly comment, Eric The Cavalier was one of the funniest characters on the classic Dungeons & Dragons cartoon. He was also the group’s realist. As much as I longed to be as cool and brave as Hank, I identified most with Eric. Despite his somewhat cowardly ways at times, Eric was always looking out for his friends and would often step up when least expected.
Hasbro’s Cartoon Classics version of Eric is something of a letdown. Of all of the figures that I have from this line (all except for Venger and Dungeon Master), Eric looks the least like his cartoon character version. The face is a little bit off, the chain mail is grey instead of blue, and the knee guards aren’t round like the ones in the cartoon. That being said, he’s still a great addition to my collection.
Like other figures in this line, Eric’s joints are extremely stiff. He features the same points of articulation and much like some of the other figures, he’s hindered at the hips by his clothing. He comes with his trademark shield with a removable force-field effect and a ten-sided die. The shield snaps securely to his arm.
Once again I received a damaged box. Once again, I decided to discard it. If you do plan to keep the boxes, they line up to form a mural of the heroes and Venger. Hasbro’s move to plastic-free packaging (which has been put to an end) means that Eric and his accessories were packed in paper similar to the kind used to wrap tennis shoes. The packaging features some great artwork and photos of Eric, Presto, and Sheila.
In a weird turn of events, I managed to snag all of the figures in the second wave over the last couple of days. A review of Presto will be coming soon, but maybe I need to review some of the first wave figures before I get to him. Let me know in the comments if there’s a specific figure you’d like me to cover next and I’ll do my best to tackle it in my next post.
Thanks for reading my latest post. There are more figure reviews on the way!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 