Whether you liked the 1998 film starring Matthew Broderick or not, you can’t deny that the Taco Bell/Godzilla tie-in items were pretty cool. While I didn’t personally go for any of the toys, I did make sure that I got my hands on all of the cups and that wonderful cup holder. I believe that it was actually supposed to fit into your car’s cup holder, but I never used it for that. Instead, I used it at home to sip my favorite beverages.
The toys were fine enough. From a disc-shooting “Jet Shooter” to a flying “Escape Flight Helicopter,” the toys were made at a slightly higher standard than one would expect from Taco Bell in the late 1990’s. That cup holder, however, was pure perfection. Just look at it in the photo below. You cannot deny how cool it is!
Between five different moves between 1998 and 2009 or so, I managed to lose my cup holder. I really miss it. It was a very unique item to own. I lost all of the cups as well, most likely tossed out by my wife as she attempted to make me grow into full adulthood. Twenty-four years of married bliss later, I’m still a big ol’ kid.
Did you have the Godzilla cup holder or any of the toys? Let me know in the comments section.
“Suddenly I am beginning not to trust my memory at all.”
According to the American Psychological Association, “gaslighting” is a term used to describe “the action of manipulating another person into doubting their own perceptions, experiences, or understanding of events.” It can lead to “confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator” (Merriam-Webster). It’s an effective tool that has been used by many abusers over the years, and while 1944’s Gaslight is often referenced as the origin of the term, it was actually inspired by the 1938 play Gas Light that inspired the film and another film in 1940. The 1944 movie takes many liberties with the play but is often cited as the most sadistic adaption of it.
In the film, Ingrid Bergman stars as Paula Alquist Anton, a young woman who struggles with the unsolved murder of her aunt, who moves into her aunt’s former home in London with her new husband. The husband, Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer), begins to note that his new bride has started to misplace things, forget events, and even accuses her of stealing things. When Gregory is away, Paula begins hearing noises in the attic and starts questioning her mental state. Gregory, in an attempt to “help” her, begins isolating Paula from the outside world. A Scotland Yard detective named Cameron (Joseph Cotten), who once fancied Paula, takes an interest in her strange behavior and begins digging around her aunt’s former home to find out what is really happening. As Paula starts to lose grip on her sanity, Cameron discovers what sinister deeds are really going on in the house. Watch Gaslight to find out what happens next!
This is a brilliantly executed film. It holds up extremely well to this day. Directed by George Cukor, the film pulls you in and manipulates you almost as much as the antagonist manipulates Paula. The performances of the core cast of Bergman, Boyer, Cotten, Angela Lansbury, and May Whitty are simply amazing. Bergman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film and Boyer was nominated for Best Actor. Lansbury was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor. In total, the production was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It won two awards, Bergman’s Best Actress Award and the award for Best Cinematography-Black And White. It also received multiple other nominations and awards and was inducted into the National Film Registry.
I highly recommend Gaslight. It’s an award-winning film that is part of the National Film Registry for a reason. It’s excellent. Charles Boyer is absolutely sinister in his role and witnessing Ingrid Bergman spiral into insanity and hopelessness is brutal to watch. That said, this is a must-see film. Check it out!
Thanks for checking out my post. Have a great day!
Way back in the early 1980s, toy company LJN combined forces with TSR to release a series of toys based upon the popular and, at least in the early 80s, controversial role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. Despite my very strong Southern Baptist roots and the alleged Satanic portals that DnD potentially opened, my mother actually purchased a number of the figures and other toys from this line for me. They were some of my favorite toys at the time and the 3 3/4″ action figures quickly found themselves in battle with Star Wars figures, Indiana Jones figures, and just about any other figure that I could get my hand on at the time. With the recent release of the Dungeons & Dragons film (which I still haven’t reviewed), action figures for the classic cartoon were released and the nostalgia hit me big time.
There were action figures, one playset, bendy figures, monsters, animals, PVC figures, and die cast miniature collectible figures in the line. The first wave was released in 1983. It featured named characters like Warduke, Elkhorn, Ringlerun, and Strongheart, who were all based upon their coinciding characters types like Paladin, Wizard, Dwarf, Fighter, etc. The second wave featured some of the same characters along with new ones, all of which had a “battle-matic” action feature. There was also a Tiamat dragon toy.
I had two of the 3 3/4 figures, Warduke and Strongheart. Needless to say, Warduke was my favorite of the duo. I also had some of the metal collector figures. If memory serves me correctly, I had Warduke, Strongheart, Ringlerun, Skylla, and Kelek. I had one lone bendy figure, the Neo-Otyugh, and a pair of the PVC figures, Bullywugs of the Bog. The Bullywugs often fell victim to the schemes of Skeletor and He-Man battled the Neo-Otyugh on numerous occasions. While I never owned the Fortress of Fangs playset, I always wanted it. I wanted Tiamat as well, but I never got that figure, either.
Believe it or not, as much as I loved the DnD action figures and the cartoon series that began in 1983, I’ve never actually played the game. I never had friends in my area that wanted to play and until I became an adult, I had zero friends that actually played the game (as far as I know).
Did you have any of these toys growing up? Do you still have them? Let me know in the comments!
As always, thanks for checking out my post. See you again real soon!
Considered by many to be the greatest film collaboration between director Tod Browning and the legendary Lon Chaney, 1927’s The Unknown is a twisted silent film that features a love triangle, murder, deception, and heartbreak. It stars Lon Chaney as Alonzo the Armless, Joan Crawford as Nanon, Norman Kerry as Malabar the Mighty, and John George as Cojo.
In the film, Alonzo is an armless circus performer who shoots a rifle and throws knives at his lovely assistant, Nanon, using his feet. Nanon, desired by both Alonzo and the circus’ local strongman, Malabar the Mighty, fears the touch of a man. While it is never openly stated, it is implied that Nanon’s father, or some other, unknown man, sexually assaulted her at a young age, causing her to fear the hands of men. Because of this fear, Nanon only feels comfortable around Alonzo because he is kind to her….and armless…..or is he? When Malabar saves Alonzo from a violent assault from Nanon’s father, he tells Alonzo of his love for Nanon and asks for his help in winning her heart. Hoping to win Nanon’s love for himself, Alonzo tells Malabar to embrace Nanon as much as possible in the hopes that it will actually draw her farther away from him and into the arms of Alonzo instead. What no one at the circus (other than Cojo) knows, is that Alonzo actually has arms and a double thumb on his left hand. Oh, and he’s a violent murderer as well, who went into hiding as an armless circus performer to hide from authorities. He eventually murders Nanon’s father but gets away with it when the police question him because, hey, no arms, and Nanon’s witness statement claims that the assailant had a double thumb. Eventually the circus moves on, but Alonzo and Nanon stay behind. Alonzo tells her that she must stay behind to avoid the horrible memories of the murder but, in actuality, hopes to woo her for his own.
Cojo tells Alonzo that he must never allow Nanon to embrace him since she will discover his secret. Desperate for her love, however, Alonzo seeks out an old “friend” and convinces him to amputate his arms. In his absence, Malabar has managed to win Nanon’s heart and the two plan to marry. Distraught, armless, and spiraling out of control, Alonzo makes one last attempt at eliminating the competition. Who lives? Who dies? Watch The Unknown to find out!
I went into this film knowing nothing about it and was completely blown away! There’s so much going on in this film under the surface that it’s simply amazing. Lon Chaney’s acting is amazing and beautiful in a twisted way. He says more with his eyes in this film that many actors do in extended monologues in other films. Norman Kerry was great as Malabar and John George was a hugely sympathetic character. The entire cast did a great job, but Joan Crawford stole the show. Not only is she simply gorgeous, she was bleeding agony and pain on the screen during her scenes. She was amazing. I can say nothing bad about her or any of the other performers in this film.
I rarely stick my neck out like this when it comes to films, but The Unknown is a must-see piece of art. It’s great. I love it. Need I say more? Watch this movie and let me know what you think about it in the comments section.
Odds are that if you were between the ages of six and sixty at any point during the 1980s and early 90s, you came into contact with the work of Chris Latta. Latta, who was also credited as Christopher Collins, voiced many of the iconic villains (and a few heroes) from some of the most beloved cartoons of the 1980s. He also guest starred in numerous television shows and films throughout his career.
He is perhaps best known for voicing Cobra Commander in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon series that originally aired from 1983 to 1986. He voiced the character in later G.I. Joe properties as well. He also voiced other characters for the property including Gung-Ho, Breaker, Ripper, Steeler, Frostbite, and others. Latta also voiced Starscream, my favorite Decepticon, in the classic The Transformers animated series that ran from 1984 to 1987. He also lent his voice to other Autobots and Decepticons including Wheeljack, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Krunk, and others.
Latta voiced characters in a number of other 80s and 90s cartoons as well. Some of the more notable ones include D’Compose and Tendril from Inhumanoids, Darkstorm from Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, and Adrian Ravenscroft in Bigfoot And The Muscle Machines. His voice can also be heard as various characters from cartoons such as Superman (1988), The Real Ghostbusters (1987), and Star Blazers (1979). He was also the original voice of Mr. Burns and Moe in the first season of The Simpsons.
Latta made a number of appearances on live action shows including multiple characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as guest roles on Seinfeld, Doogie Howser, M.D., and NYPD Blue. He had a recurring role as Roger, one of the members of Al Bundy’s anti-feminism group, NO MA’AM, on Married…With Children, and even hosted a live-action children’s show in California called King Koopa’s Kool Kartoons. He appeared in full costume as King Koopa (Bowser) from the Super Mario franchise and would interact with a live audience of children, perform skits, and introduce cartoons.
Latta also had roles in films such as Road House (1989), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), and True Identity (1991). He was also a successful stand-up comedian. A complete list of Latta’s film and television work can be found on IMDb.
Latta passed away at the age of forty-four on June 12, 1994. Diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage in 1992, it would prove to be the cause of his death. His daughter, Abby Cluster, herself a voice actor, was present at Latta’s posthumous induction into the Transformers Hall Of Fame. He is one of only twenty-two people to be inducted into the hall. Two of the characters that he voiced for Transformers, Starscream and Wheeljack, are also in the hall.
Latta as Roger, center back, on Married…With Children.
So, how many of the shows or films that I mentioned have you seen? Did Chris Latta voice one of your favorite cartoon characters? Let me know in the comments section.
Be sure to join me at the Lake Charles Film Festival next month Enjoy two days of independent feature-length films, short films, special presentations, vendors, and more at the Holiday Inn & Suites located at 2940 Lake Street in Lake Charles, LA. Filmmakers from all over the world have submitted their projects to the festival in the hopes to win a coveted Scallywag award.
Things will get started on Friday evening beginning at 5PM with screenings until 9PM. There will also be a special presentation of two silent film shorts, Felix In Hollywood and It’s A Gift, which are both turning one hundred years old this year! Topping the night off will be a mixer at Rikenjaks Brewing Company that will last until the place shuts down! Film and special presentations will continue on Saturday beginning at 10AM and will end with the festival’s official awards ceremony taking place at MacFarlane’s Celtic Pub at 7PM.
Film and television star Johnny Whitaker will be in attendance. Louisiana filmmaker Mitch Laing will be giving a presentation on the process of making and finding distribution for your independent film. More filmmakers, artists, vendors, and guests will also be in attendance. To find an updated list, please visit the Lake Charles Film Festival website or Facebook page.
Oh, and by the way, there’s still a little time left to enter the 48-Hour Film Sprint! Winners will be announced at the festival! Visit the festival website for more information.
I really hope to see you at the Lake Charles Film Festival this year. I’ll be working behind the scenes most of the time, but feel free to say hello to me if you see me. I’ll also be at the mixer and the awards ceremony, so come say hi there as well!
Ken’s Alternate Universe is an in-kind sponsor once again and it is happy to be a part of the 12th Annual Lake Charles Film Festival!
Something that I’ve picked up on about the twin brothers of terror, Chad and Carey W. Hayes, is that their horror writing almost always falls into one of two categories: 1) dull but watchable and 2) downright chilling. The duo penned the remake of House Of Wax (2005), The Turning (2020), and The Reaping (2007), all of which were dull films, but watchable nonetheless. They also wrote The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016) which were downright chilling. Unfortunately for their 2017 effort, The Crucifixion, that film falls into the dull but watchable category.
The film is loosely based upon the real Tanacu Monastery exorcism of Maricica Irina Cornici that took place in 2005. According to officials, Cornici died as a result of an exorcism performed by Father Daniel Petre Corogeanu and four Orthodox nuns. In the film, a young nun, this one named Sister Adelina, is murdered during an attempted exorcism by Father Dimitru and a group of nuns as well, and a pesky, atheistic young reporter, Nicole, heads out to determine if the nun was murdered by a madman (Father Dimitru) or actually killed by a demonic force. She seeks out the help of a local priest, Father Anton, who resists her at first, but ultimately forms a strong friendship with her. As Nicole digs deeper into the story, she begins to have weird experiences and explicit dreams about Father Anton. Nicole continues to look for answers into the case of Sister Adelina, and the demon that possessed her now turns its interests toward Nicole. Who really killed Adelina? Will Father Anton give in to the flirtations of Nicole? Will Nicole have her faith restored? Watch The Crucifixion to find out!
Like I already mentioned, this film is dull but watchable. The story is decent and flows along nicely thanks to solid direction from Xavier Gens. Sophie Cookson stars as Nicole and she delivers a good performance. I also enjoyed Corneliu Ulici as Father Anton. Brittany Ashworth gave a grand performance as Sister Vaduva, Adelina’s roommate and close friend. The film also starred Ivan Gonzalez, Ozana Oancea, Florian Voicu, and Catalin Babluic, among others. Keep an eye open for Javier Botet as well. He appears in the film as “Faceless Man,” but he’s terrified you in a ton of other films including the recent The Last Voyage Of The Demeter.
If, like me, you haven’t been able to get out to the theaters to see The Nun 2, why not give The Crucifixion a look? It’s not part of The Conjuring universe, but it is penned by the hand of two of that universe’s best writers. It’s a chilly little flick that won’t necessarily scare you, but it will hold your attention.
2011’s Flashpoint story, which played out across multiple DC titles, provides the backbone….and not much else, for 2023’s The Flash. If you’re familiar with Geoff Johns’ story, you know that in it, Barry Allen upsets the timeline by traveling back to the point where his mother dies and preventing her death. What follows is absolute chaos, with the Amazons battling the Atlanteans in a worldwide conflict, Barry doesn’t have his powers, Superman is apparently non-existent, and Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne, but his father, Thomas. It’s an excellent story that was adapted into a brilliant animated film in 2013 and it probably would have been a great live-action flick (perfect to reset the DCEU) had Christina Hodson (screenplay), and John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Joby Harold (story) kept most of the book’s elements intact. Instead, we get a somewhat jumbled action yarn with a lot of potential and not a lot of payoff.
In the movie, Barry goes back in time to save his mother from being murdered by dropping a can of tomato sauce in her shopping cart. This sets off a whole chain of events. Barry returns to what he believes is his timeline and reunites with his father (who is no longer in prison) and his mother, alive and well and making supper. Then he meets himself, but this version of Barry is powerless and has been coddled by his mother for his entire life. Barry realizes that he has arrived on the day that he is supposed to gain his powers. He helps the new Barry gain his powers, but loses his own at the same time. Then General Zod shows up and plans to terraform the planet. Desperate to stop Zod, Barry quizzes his doppelganger on the Justice League. There’s no Wonder Woman, no Aquaman, no Superman, and Cyborg hasn’t received his powers yet. The only hero that happens to be around is……Michael Keaton. Um, ur, it’s the Michael Keaton version of Batman from the 1989 film, but a lot older and just a tad bit nuts. The trio join forces to locate Superman. Instead of finding Kal-El, however, they discover Kara Zor-El, Superman‘s cousin, best known to viewers as Supergirl. Having been tortured and hidden deep inside Earth by the Russian government, Supergirl isn’t very keen on saving humanity. She ultimately does agree to help Barry, Barry, and Michael Kea—uh, Batman, but can this fierce foursome stop Zod and save the multiverse? You’ll have to watch The Flash to find out.
This film could have been so much better than it was. It wasn’t terrible, mind you, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for in a film based upon the Flashpoint story. There’s plenty of humor, some solid performances from the cast, and a nice dose of nostalgia seeing Michael Keaton back under the cowl, but the film was just a shadow of the awesome story originally written by Geoff Johns. Also, the CGI was horrible. Director Andy Muschietti has been quoted as saying that the wonky effects were intentional. They were supposed to show us what Barry saw while he was tapping into the Speed Force, but if that was the case, why was Barry #2’s face just as horribly executed in “normal time” as were all of the faces we see inside of the Speed Force????? It’s all poorly done and the plot isn’t strong enough to make the bad CGI forgivable.
Ezra Miller does a fine job as Barry #1 and Barry #2, although he did get a tad annoying at times. Michael Keaton did a great job with what he had to work with in the film, but I believe that he would have worked even better as Thomas Wayne in the film. The real standout for me was Sasha Calle as Supergirl. She was amazing. I’d love to see her return to this role in another film. There are also a ton of cameos in this film, most of which are executed with the terrible CGI that’s supposed to be Barry’s view of the Speed Force. Those cameos are nothing more than fan service as are a few surprise cameos in other parts of the film. One cameo in particular was fan disservice in my opinion. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that Christian Bale would have been a better choice for the cameo that I’m referencing.
So, if you haven’t seen The Flash yet and happen to be a DC Comics fan, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s a dull version of the Flashpoint story, but Sasha Calle and Michael Keaton make it worth sitting through at least one time. This is just one more example of how Warner Brothers already has an amazing story laid out in front of them and they squander it for reasons beyond me.
Thanks for checking out my post. I have a few more ready to release this week.
That’s right, kids! We are one month away from the 2023 edition of Thirty-One Days O’Horror! This year’s theme is Revenge Of The Slashers! I’m currently compiling my list of bad boys and bad girls that you’ll get to check out beginning October 1st. I have a few days left to fill with fearsome fellows and females, so if there are any specific slashers that you’d like to see covered next month, let me know!
While there will be a few obvious big guns in this year’s list, I’ve also thrown in a few lesser known slashers that I hope that you’ll enjoy reading about. I dug up a few gems that are sure to please your murderous desires!
So, be sure to join me in October for a month full of slicing, dicing, stabbing, grabbing, drilling, and killing as we celebrate another Thirty-One Days O’Horror!
“I think we’re alone now, so let me get lost in your eyes!”
Okay, I’ll admit that my heading is a tad lame, but I wanted to find a way in which to combine two of the biggest songs for two of the biggest stars of the late 1980s/early 1990s without showing any favoritism. Tiffany Darwish, better known simply as Tiffany, and Deborah Gibson, best known as Debbie Gibson, shot to stardom in the late 1980s as teen idols. Tiffany was known for her red hair and amazing covers of I Think We’re Alone Now (which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts) and I Saw Him Standing There. Debbie Gibson wrote her own songs at the tender age of sixteen and hit number one with Foolish Beat and would go on to release a number of Top Five and Top Ten hits including another number one, Lost In Your Eyes.
Both of these young ladies hit the charts during my formative years. Two beautiful pop starlets, one singing her way across America on a mall tour and the other, a thoughtful, heart-tugging songwriter with pop sensibilities, captured my pre-teen/young teen heart. Of the two, I have to admit that I developed a massive crush on Debbie Gibson. She was cute, intelligent, and made awesome pop tunes. I purchased her first two albums, Out Of The Blue and Electric Youth, when they were released, and heaven only knows how many issues of Bop and Big Bopper that I begged my parents to buy for me so that I could hang Debbie Gibson posters on my wall. I had a few Tiffany posters as well, but I was a Debbie Gibson man.
Gibson managed to maintain a steady career after her pop stardom began to fade. She appeared in numerous Broadway productions, made countless guest appearances on television shows, competed on The Celebrity Apprentice, and continues to tour to this day. While her crowds have aged over the years, they still give her their full support.
Tiffany’s self-titled debut was a massive hit, but her second album, Hold An Old Friend’s Hand, despite strong sales, failed to meet expectations. She continued releasing new albums, but didn’t seem to be able to maintain a steady fanbase like Gibson. Like Gibson, Tiffany began appearing in guest roles on television. She also appeared in a number of reality shows as well. She has been in a number of films over the years including Jetsons: The Movie.
In 2002, Tiffany made the dreams of a lot of young men (and probably a few women) a reality when she appeared nude in Playboy magazine. She was also the cover model for her issue. Not to be outdone, Debbie Gibson also appeared in Playboy in 2005. She has stated that the pictorial was done to promote her new single, Naked, and to change her public image.
Both women have appeared in a number of B-movies over the years and, cashing in on their supposed (but absolutely fabricated by the media) feud with one another, Gibson and Tiffany appeared together in the Syfy Channel film Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid (2011).
Tiffany released a remake of I Think We’re Alone Now in 2019. Debbie Gibson performed in the New Kids On The Block song Boys In The Band in that same year. Both women continue touring to this day and pull in large crowds. If the music gods will allow it, I hope to see both of them in the near future.
As I stated earlier, I owned original copies (on CD) of Gibson’s first two albums. I lost both of them and many other CDs in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. I hope to repurchase both albums in the near future.
So, who was your favorite teen queen? Was it the lovely Tiffany or the beautiful Debbie Gibson? No matter who you choose, both of them are wonderful in my book! I mean, yeah, I’m a total sucker for Debbie, but I’d happily accept a hug from Tiffany any day!
Thanks for checking out my post. See you again real soon!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 