The Year Of KISS: The Band

“You Wanted The Best! You Got The Best!”

With my first official album review in The Year Of KISS coming next week, I thought that I’d give a very brief glimpse at the band’s lineup changes over the years. I’ll start with the original members and make my way to the newest one. I’ll list the primary personnel on each KISS album review as well.

Paul Stanley/The Starchild

Along with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley exited the band known as Wicked Lester and formed one of the most iconic groups in rock history, KISS. While all members of the band take turns on vocals, Paul is the primary frontman for the group. He does almost all of the talking between songs during live shows and often takes charge in interviews. Stanley is, in my opinion, the most talented member of the band overall and the true heart of KISS. He sings lead vocals and backing vocals and plays rhythm guitar.

Gene Simmons/The Demon

Considered to be the face of KISS and the one member that everyone in the world seems to be most familiar with, Gene Simmons has used his makeup and his mind to make a ton of money off of the brand that is KISS. Simmons tromps around stage, apes to cameras, breathes fire, vomits blood, flies into the rafters, and sticks out his iconic tongue. Simmons and Stanley are the only members that have been in the band for its entire existence. Simmons plays bass and sings lead and backing vocals.

Ace Frehley/Space Ace

Ace Frehley is a founding member of KISS. He designed the band’s iconic logo. He’s also considered by many to be the “sound” of the band because of his unique playing style. He left the band in 1982 for a solid solo career but eventually reunited with all of the founding members in 1996. He remained with the band until he exited a second time in 2002. Frehley has often stated that he is an unorthodox guitar player who has never taken a guitar lesson. Despite this, Frehley is considered to be one of the most influential guitarists in rock music. Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), and Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) are just a few of the many guitarists that consider Ace to be one of their biggest influences. His playing style is only made more memorable by the fact that he rigged his guitars to smoke and shoot rockets during live performances. Ace was the band’s lead guitarist and sang backing and lead vocals.

Peter Criss/The Catman

Peter Criss was the first founding member of KISS to exit the group. He left the band in 1980, rejoined in 1996, left again in 2001, came back in 2002, and made his final exit in 2004. Criss is best known for his raspy vocals that can be heard on some of KISS’ most popular tracks like “Black Diamond” and “Hard Luck Woman” and my personal Criss favorite, “Getaway.” He’s also the vocalist and co-writer for the band’s biggest charting track, “Beth,” which made it all the way to #7 on the Billboard Charts in 1976. Criss played drums and sang backing and lead vocals.

Eric Carr/The Fox

Eric Carr replaced Peter Criss in KISS in 1980. Of all of the “new guys” to join the band, Carr seems to be the most beloved. Carr went out of his way to connect with fans of the band and according to numerous interviews, he was the most approachable member of the group. He brought a loud, pounding style of hard rock to the band that would carry them through the 1980’s. He sang lead vocals on Criss’ tracks that were performed live but only some of the time. His best known original vocal contribution to the band was “Little Caesar” from 1989’s Hot In The Shade. Carr stayed in the band until his death on November 24, 1991 due to heart cancer. His death was sadly overshadowed by the death of another famous rocker, Freddie Mercury, of Queen. Carr played drums and provided backing and lead vocals.

Vinnie Vincent/The Ankh Warrior

Something of an anomaly in KISS, Vinnie Vincent joined the band officially in 1982 with the departure of Ace Frehley. A wizard on guitar, Vincent immediately had an impact on the band in both good and bad ways. Vincent was a prolific songwriter and cranked out tons of material that the band used including tracks like “Lick It Up.” He was also heavily used as a guitar player on Creatures of the Night despite not being featured on the album cover. Vincent was known for playing unplanned extended solos that disrupted many of KISS’ shows. He supposedly locked horns with members of the band, especially Paul Stanley, and would never sign a contract with the group. This and other things led to his exit from the group in 1984. He formed Vinnie Vincent Invasion that same year with Robert Fleischman, Dana Strum, and Bobby Rock. He would eventually return to the band as a songwriter with 1992’s Revenge. Since that time, Vincent has made sporadic public appearances, released an EP, and did a few interviews. Vincent played lead guitar and provided backing and lead vocals.

Mark St. John

After the unceremonious exit of Vinnie Vincent, KISS quickly replaced him with Mark St. John. St. John is the shortest tenured member of the group, lasting less than a year in 1984. He appeared on the band’s 1984 album, Animalize, but is the only member of the group to have never been featured on an album cover. Apparently St. John clashed immediately with the group. That and the fact that his reactive arthritis made him only able to play two live shows meant that his time in the group was cut short. Eventually St. John would form the band White Tiger. St. John’s incarnation of the group lasted from 1985 to 1989 when St. John attempted to form another band, The Keep, with former KISS drummer Peter Criss. Unable to secure a record deal, the group dissolved. St. John made a few more attempts at recording and forming bands but eventually faded into obscurity. He made a few limited public appearances, got in trouble with the law, was severely beaten and stabbed in prison, and eventually passed away at the age of fifty-one on April 5, 2007. His story is perhaps the most heartbreaking in the band. St. John provided lead guitar and backing vocals.

Bruce Kulick

With Mark St. John unable to perform live and due to his frequent clashes with the band, KISS needed a reliable performer to take his place quickly. That performer was Bruce Kulick. Kulick joined the group officially in September of 1984. He was already playing with the band prior to that time. He toured with the group along with Mark St. John and whenever St. John couldn’t perform, sometimes mid-concert, Kulick was brought in to take over guitars. Both Bruce and his brother, Bob, had auditioned with KISS prior to getting hired. Bruce Kulick would go on to perform with the group until the original lineup’s reunion in 1996. Kulick is noted for being able to put his own spin on the memorable solos performed by Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, and Mark St. John but still making it sound like traditional KISS tracks. Since 2000, Kulick has been performing with Grand Funk Railroad and has done many more projects, including solo albums, over the years. Kulick is also noted for being a very easygoing guy who is very approachable. Kulick provided lead guitars, backing and lead vocals, and keyboards.

Eric Singer/The Catman

After the untimely death of Eric Carr, KISS hired journeyman drummer Eric Singer. Don’t let the title “journeyman” fool you, Singer is perhaps the most technically gifted drummer the band has ever had in its lineup. Singer has performed with some of the biggest acts in rock music such as Brian May, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and Lita Ford. He’s also extremely versatile, being able to play numerous musical styles. Singer joined the band during their “unmasked” period but was the first person to take on the persona of a previous member of the group when he donned the Catman makeup in 2001. This has resulted in many members of the KISS Army disliking Singer and Tommy Thayer, who took on the Space Man persona. Singer has been with KISS longer than any other member of the band except for Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Singer also has his own group, ESP, that he performs with when he isn’t behind the kit for KISS or any of the many other bands he performs with when KISS has some downtime. Singer provides drums, piano, backing vocals, and lead vocals.

Tommy Thayer/The Spaceman

We’ve arrived at the final member of KISS. He’s been with the band longer than any other member except for Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Eric Singer, but he’s still considered the “new guy.” He’s also both loved and hated for his tenure with the group. He’s Tommy Thayer and he’s one of the most solid guitarists that KISS has ever had in their lineup. After Ace Frehley’s final exit from KISS in 2002, Tommy Thayer took up Space Ace’s guitar and his persona. This enraged many fans even more than when Eric Singer took on the Catman persona. This is probably because Ace Frehley is one of the most beloved members of the original group. It also might be due to the fact that Thayer not only played in a KISS tribute band but that his involvement with the actual group goes all the way back to 1989’s Hot In The Shade where he did session work and co-wrote some of that album’s tracks. Thayer was something of an “every man” for the group. He did whatever functions Gene and Paul requested of him including production, videography, and being a gofer for the band. He went as far as reteaching both Ace Frehley and Peter Criss their original parts from KISS’ classic tracks so that they could perform them on the Reunion tour. When Frehley eventually left, Thayer slipped right into the role as the Spaceman. Since then, Thayer has contributed to the band’s last two albums, Sonic Boom (2009) and Monster (2012), providing songs and playing guitars. In my opinion, Thayer is an excellent guitarist who is only hindered by the fact that many people consider him nothing but a cover artist who got lucky. The fact of the matter is that Tommy Thayer can play all of the KISS tracks exactly as they sounded nearly fifty years ago, comes across as a nice guy despite how some people see him, and he put in a ton of work to get where he is today. Thayer provides the group with lead guitar and backing and lead vocals.

In Summary

Well, there you have it. I’ve listed all of the members of KISS from the group’s history. Sure, there are a few players that appeared on albums who were never officially members of the group such as Anton Fig and Bob Kulick, but I’ll mention them in reviews later this year. I just wanted to give everyone a brief introduction to the faces and personalities that turned KISS into the juggernaut that it has become over time.

Thanks for reading! The first album review hits next Friday!

Throwback Thursday: The Dirt Bike Kid (1985)

Magic Wheels

Although he’s best known for 1983’s A Christmas Story, Peter Billingsley was actually a very busy child actor in the 80’s. Not only did he appear in the aforementioned Christmas classic, but he also starred in the thriller Death Valley (1982), Russkies (1987), Beverly Hills Brats (1989), and a few other films as well. His face was all over television, starring or guest starring in numerous shows such as Punky Brewster, Highway To Heaven, Little House On The Prairie, Real People, and many more. One of the quirkiest films that he appeared in was The Dirt Bike Kid (1985), a film about a kid who buys a magical bike that helps him fight off a motorcycle gang, a greedy banker, and also helps him save his friend’s business. Crazy, right? It’s still a fun little flick.

In the film, Billingsley portrays Jack Simmons. Jack is mesmerized by motorcycles, motocross racing, and BMX bikes. His single mother (Anne Bloom), who is struggling to make ends meet, gives Jack their last fifty dollars for groceries while she goes for a job interview. Jack happens to go to a local race and ends up purchasing a beat up old dirt bike with the money instead and also has to trade his BMX bike as well. With nothing but a filthy and banged up motorcycle to show for his troubles, Jack’s mom punishes him and sends him to his room for the night. Once the lights go out, Jack sneaks out to the garage and cleans up the bike. It magically fixes its own dents and scratches and takes Jack for a wild ride that has him fighting a motorcycle gang and eventually flying over the city to safety back at home.

As the film continues, we learn that a local banker, Mr. Hodgkins (Stuart Pankin), has plans to demolish the local hot dog stand in order to make way for a new bank. That hot dog stand is owned by Mike (Patrick Collins), Jack’s good friend and baseball coach. From there the movie becomes a battle of wits and wheels between Jack and Mr. Hodgkins as Jack begins to uncover the real reason why Mr. Hodgkins wants to put his new bank on the spot where Mike’s Doghouse currently stands.

Along for the ride are Jack’s best friend, Bo (Chad Sheets), Mrs. Clavell (Sage Parker), who works for Mr. Hodgkins but secretly loves Mike, Big Slime (Weasel Forshaw), leader of the local biker gang, and a crew of bumbling cops that attempt to stop Jack because Mr. Hodgkins has them in his pocket. It all sounds really silly but it also works perfectly on the same level as films like Meatballs. Basically there are enough dirty words in the film to make parents cringe a bit but there are also so many sugary sweet moments and completely silly action that parents let the bad words slide. There’s almost no sexual references in the film with the exception of Bo being captivated by a young woman’s bouncing bosom at the beginning of the film and Mr. Hodgkins unsuccessfully attempting to seduce Jack’s mom and eventually a second woman as well.

The film’s cast is loaded with faces that most 1980’s and 1990’s kids will recognize. Though none of them may register as a star, all of the core cast has either starred in at least one major film or has been a guest star or star on the small screen. The actor who plays Mike, Patrick Collins, has been in an amazing amount of films, television shows, and commercials. From the mid 1970’s on, Collins has nearly sixty credits to his name, many of which were as recurring characters on shows such as Gimme A Break, Law & Order: SVU, and Checking In. Anne Bloom has had a long career much like Collins. She starred in the series Not Necessarily The News (along with The Dirt Bike Kid costars Stuart Pankin and Danny Breen and director Hoite C. Caston), and went on to appear on shows such as Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Doogie Howser, M.D., Airwolf, and Johnny Bravo. Stuart Pankin has had probably the most prolific on screen career of the film’s stars. According to IMDb, Pankin has 163 acting credits to his name including roles in films such as Arachnophobia and Fatal Attraction and a ton of TV roles including starring, recurring, and guest roles in shows like The Golden Girls, The Power of Matthew Star, Barney Miller, Knots Landing, Night Court, and Suddenly Susan. He has also done a ton of voice work on shows like Dinosaurs, Superman: The Animated Series, and Higglytown Heroes. Sage Parker has also featured in a number of popular films and television shows but most folks will probably recognize her as Tyler, one of the scientists that works on Robocop in the film of the same name. Chad Sheets’ career was sadly cut short. He passed away at the age of twenty-six due to colon cancer. I vaguely remember the children’s series that he starred in called The Real Adventures of Sherlock Jones and Proctor Watson. What I really remember him from are films like Meatballs II and his guest roles on shows like Magnum, P.I. Billingsley found his true calling behind the camera. He has produced, co-produced, executive produced, or directed numerous films and television series including Four Christmases, Sullivan & Son, Couples Retreat, and Iron Man. He still gets in front of the camera as well, mainly in cameos or small guest roles such as in films like Spiderman: Far From Home and Elf.

The Dirt Bike Kid is currently available on home media and multiple streaming services. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime or Peacock, the film is included for free on those platforms. Pluto TV and Tubi are two free streamers that also have the film available for viewing. If you have a kid between the ages of eight and twelve, this is a great film to watch with them. There’s a bit of bad language and the aforementioned bouncing bosom (fully clothed), but not much else that will make a parent worry about what their kid is seeing on the screen. I believe that you’ll enjoy this movie as well.

Thanks for reading my post. See you again soon!

Rank: Top Ten Favorite TV Vehicles

Nope, Automan didn’t make the list, but this was a sweet ride!

Full Disclosure: I totally ripped off this idea from Jamie Ray’s Fave Five From Fans podcast. Be sure to check out his podcast and let him know that yours truly sent him your way! Click this link to find out more!

“Chicks dig the car.”

Okay, so “chicks” might not be the proper term to use these days but it’s a well known fact that back in the day, plenty of chicks were attracted to certain vehicles on television. Some of those vehicles were actual cars and trucks that you could buy off of a lot (so long as you had a ton of money in hand) and some were either customized stock vehicles or entirely new fabrications for a series.

In this list I’ll be ranking my top ten favorite vehicles from television. I’m limiting myself to vehicles on television, so no 1989 Batmobiles or Christines. I’m also limiting myself to vehicles that actually have wheels. This eliminates the awesomeness that is Airwolf and the Riptide boat. I’m also not what you’d call a “car guy,” so I’m not getting into the technical aspects of the vehicles. With that in mind, let’s waste no more time and get to the list!

Number Ten: 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTB/4

Sure, this ride wasn’t actually a Ferrari, but it looked awesome and was, at least in my opinion, the coolest car on Miami Vice. The exterior panels were Ferrari, but the engine was from a Chevrolet Corvette. This replica vehicle infuriated Ferrari, and they ended up giving the series two brand-spanking new 1986 Ferrari Testarossas. Popular Mechanics has an awesome article about this and many of the other vehicles used in the series here. I always preferred this black Daytona Spyder over the Testarossa and hated to see it destroyed on the show.

Number Nine: The General Lee

I spent many hours of my childhood pretending to be Luke Duke (I always thought that he was cooler than Bo). I rode all over my yard and used any and every piece of wood, clump of dirt, or any other items as a launching point for my bicycle which I pretended was the 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee. Dukes of Hazzard was one of my favorite shows as a very young child and Daisy Duke was one of my earliest crushes. With the rebel flag on top and that orange paint all over, I thought that this was the baddest vehicle on the planet. I understand that this vehicle has become somewhat controversial over the years but for its time, nothing could beat the General Lee.

Number Eight: 1983 GMC Vandura

Let’s be honest, outside of the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo, vans haven’t been sought out that much for transportation on television. While the Mystery Machine didn’t make my list, the coolest van in the history of television did: The A-Team‘s GMC Vandura. Sure, it had a ton of gadgets and weapons in the back, and always the right ones for whatever job the gang was working, but this van is cool because it was black, had a red stripe on it, was almost always driven by B.A. Baracus (Mr. T), and had a freaking spoiler on top! A van with a FREAKING SPOILER ON TOP! If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is!

Number Seven: Black Beauty

The blacked out, souped up 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown that is best known as Black Beauty from The Green Hornet series is exactly that, a black beauty. When I first saw this vehicle in reruns of the classic Hornet series, I immediately fell in love. The dark coloring made the green headlights pierce the night and it just screamed “cool.” Throw in all of the weapons that were in the vehicle and you’ve got the sweetest superhero ride on the block that is second only to the iconic Batmobile.

Number Six: The Highwayman Truck

The short-lived 1987 series The Highwayman is just one of a long list of shows that were cancelled too soon in my opinion. It starred Sam Jones (Flash Gordon) and “Jacko” Jackson (Energizer Battery commercial star in the U.S.) as a duo of crime fighters in the near future. The Highwayman rolled around a very Mad Max like desert area battling bad guys in a heavily modified 1980 Kenworth cab-over. When I say highly modified, I meant it. The “cab” of the truck was actually a helicopter that could be used for aerial assaults. The vehicle had a number of impressive weapons, a handy car stowed away in the rear, and could also become invisible when needed. The Highwayman’s buddy, Jetto, also had a cool ride that included an awesome car, but that truck didn’t make this list.

Number Five: 1973 Dodge Open Road

Batman has the Batmobile. The Green Hornet has Black Beauty. Panthro has the Thunder Tank. So what stylish ride would you expect one of the most powerful superheroes of all time to roll around in fighting crime? If your answer was a 1973 Dodge Open Road, you’re correct! From 1974 to 1976, Billy Batson, who with one magic word would become Captain Marvel, and Billy’s mentor named….um….Mentor, would travel from town to town looking to right wrongs. Outside of the sweet lightning bolt on the front and a tricked out communicator that allowed Billy and Mentor to speak with the mystical elders, there’s nothing special about this vehicle. It’s just really cool and deserves the five spot on my list.

Number Four: Magnum, P.I. Ferrari 308 GTSi

Tom Selleck actually drove three versions of the Ferrari 308 GTSi during Magnum, P.I.’s eight season run. The 1981 version was used the longest, seasons 2-6, with the 1979 card being used only in the first season and a 1984 model used in the final two seasons. All three of the cars were gorgeous and looked great while cruising around Hawaii. Of course, Thomas Magnum is an iconic character, so he deserved an iconic car.

Number Three: 1951 Ford F1

On the surface it doesn’t look like much, but the red 1951 Ford F1 pickup truck was used by a great “collector” and his “coordinator,” Lamont and Fred Sanford of Sanford & Son Salvage. Fred is the “Sanford” and Lamont is the “Son” if you weren’t already aware. I always loved this beat up old truck because I grew up around a lot of folks that drove beat up old trucks. This pickup cruises into the three spot on my list simply because I love Redd Foxx and Sanford & Son so much. It appeared in the opening credits of every episode and was shown during almost every episode, usually parked and always full of junk.

Number Two: The Batmobile

No vehicle is as iconic as the Batmobile. Whether it’s the 1989 version, the “tumbler” from the Dark Knight trilogy, or any other version of this car, there’s simply no other ride on the planet that is memorable as the Batmobile. Outside of the 1989 Michael Keaton Batmobile, the best known version of the car is the heavily modified 1955 Ford Futura concept car used by Adam West in the classic 60’s Batman TV series. It was teeming with amazing gadgets that included the Bat-magnet, Bat-scope, Bat-phone, Bat-ray, Bat…..well, you get the picture. It even had an inflatable decoy! This car is simply amazing and it definitely deserves the top spot on my list…..except one vehicle outshines it in my sweet little 1980’s heart. That vehicle is……..

Number One: KITT

KITT easily tops this list as the most iconic TV vehicle of all time. Only the Batmobile comes remotely close to KITT’s awesomeness. Driven by the always-cooler-than-you Michael Knight (an icon himself, David Hasselhoff), KITT was a self-aware vehicle that could speak, drive itself, and do a ton of other things. KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) had a medical scanner, a chemical analyzer, flame throwers, a nearly indestructible body, oil squirters, and so much, much more. In Knight Rider‘s fourth and final season, KITT received an update that added even more gadgets and weapons to his arsenal.

KITT was sarcastically voiced by William Daniels. You might know him from St. Elsewhere, but younger generations will know him as Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World. KITT had an evil twin named KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot) who was originally voiced by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime. Both vehicles were 1982 Pontiac Trans Ams.

I had the opportunity of seeing a replica of KITT on two occasions. I simply love this vehicle. KITT is amazing. He showed up in my life at just the right time to captivate me and I love that car with all of my heart. I hope to one day meet David Hasselhoff, William Daniels, and Peter Cullen. As a child I wanted to be Michael Knight and as an adult I STILL want to be Michael Knight!

I hope that you enjoyed my list. Let me know some of your favorite vehicles in the comments section. Thanks for reading my post!

Classic Horror: Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)

“Places to go, people to kill.”

When I saw the first Prom Night film, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I actually had some sympathy for the killer in that film and understood the motive for murdering so many teens. You can read my review of the film here and see for yourself how much I enjoyed it. Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II goes in an entirely different direction. The 1987 thriller shares nothing with the previous film except for the location, Hamilton High School, and the fact that they are both Canadian films.

The film begins in 1957 in a Catholic confessional where Mary Lou Maloney, a young lady of loose morals, is confessing all of her most recent grave sins to the local priest. Apparently all of her sinning for this particular confession was done in order to become prom queen. After telling the priest here sins and admitting that she loved every minute of it, we see her at the prom with her boyfriend, Billy Nordham, who gives her a ring. Then he catches her fooling around with Buddy Cooper. In a rage, Billy attempts to embarrass Mary Lou by blowing up a stink bomb during her crowning moment at the prom. Instead, he sets her dress on fire and she burns to death.

Jump ahead thirty years to 1987 and Billy is now the principal at Hamilton High School. His son, Craig, is a student there and good ol’ Buddy Cooper, the guy who Mary Lou cheated with at the beginning of the film, is a priest. Young Vicki Carpenter is also a student at the school (and Craig’s girlfriend) and she’s bummed because her mother refuses to buy her a dress for the prom. She decides to look through some of the old dresses from the school’s prop room and unwittingly releases the evil spirit of Mary Lou. Mary Lou quickly offs Vicki’s best friend and then possesses Vicki’s body. Mary Lou plans to get revenge on all of her old enemies and a few new ones that she makes along the way. Buddy, Billy, and Craig square off against Vicki as the body count rises. You’ll have to watch the film in order to find out what happens.

This film was okay. I honestly believe that it would be better remembered had it not been pigeonholed into the Prom Night franchise. It is just so different from the first film that there’s no substantial connection between them. This makes sense if you know that the film was originally a standalone project that the production company decided to make a part of the Prom Night films in order to cash in on the first film’s popularity. While I understand why the producers did this I believe that it actually hurt the film and the franchise as a whole.

Contemporary critics of the film immediately (and correctly) picked up on the multiple similarities between this film and flicks like A Nightmare On Elm Street and Carrie. The film is more a supernatural thriller and not so much a slasher film. It has a number of surreal moments including an incestuous kiss, a wicked rocking horse, and a chalkboard that absorbs poor Vicki. There also doesn’t seem to be a limit nor any truly defined weaknesses to Mary Lou’s supernatural powers. She seems to be able to kill at will using anything she can get her hands on or by using supernatural powers. There’s also no defined way to defeat her which, in my opinion, makes the film more interesting than it should be when compared to other genre films.

Along with the many callbacks to other films in the teen slasher vein, this film features all of the expected tropes that come with these types of movies, so be warned if you have any younger viewers in the room. There’s a high school adversary, a friend who wrongs the protagonist, a dorky kid who makes a bad decision and suffers for it, a white knight love interest, plenty of gore, sexual situations, and nudity. Yep, there’s some very gratuitous nudity in one scene involving possessed Vicki fighting with, making out with, and then stalking her friend, Monica. I have to give kudos to young Wendy Lyon and Beverley Hendry for that scene. While Hendry only gives folks a brief glimpse of her goodies, Ms. Lyon leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. You see every single inch of her from front to back and all I have to say is that she’s much braver than I am. Oddly enough, the language in the film isn’t as strong as it is in similar films. Keep all of this in mind if you are concerned about your kids seeing or hearing these types of things.

The film’s cast is pretty solid. Wendy Lyon carries the film as sweet Vicki/possessed Vicki. You actually feel pretty bad for her once Mary Lou takes over her body. Lyon has continued to work regularly in film and television, primarily in supporting roles. The always reliable Michael Ironside portrays Billy Nordham as an adult and he delivers a great performance as usual. Justin Louis, who now goes by Louis Ferreira, portrayed Craig, Billy’s son, has had a long and varied career. He’s probably best known for his work as Colonel Everett Young in Stargate Universe but his career also includes roles in the Saw franchise and numerous television series. Lisa Schrage portrayed Mary Lou Maloney. She was very unlikable in the film so she did a great job as far as I’m concerned. Terri Hawkes played Kelly, a young lady who proves that she’ll do anything to win the prom crown in 1987. Hawkes has had a very successful career that includes voice work on Sailor Moon and The Care Bears projects. She has also appeared in supporting roles on television and film. The film was directed by Bruce Pittman and written by Ron Oliver.

The film’s makeup effects were done quite well. Headed up by Jim Doyle, who worked on A Nightmare on Elm Street, it’s no surprise that many of the effects were reminiscent of that film. I especially enjoyed the “resurrection” of Mary Lou at the prom.

Ultimately the film is just okay. It adds nothing new to the genre but it is still pretty enjoyable to watch. Give it a look if you haven’t seen it yet. Thanks for checking out my post. See you again soon!

The Year Of KISS!

“It’s Cold Gin Time Again…..”

The hottest band in the world, KISS, has been blowing up speakers and stadiums since 1973. The band officially turns fifty years old in 2023, so I decided that in 2022 I would take a look at all twenty of the band’s studio albums and their four solo works as well. That means that I’ll be reviewing two of the band’s albums per month. I’ll review them in release order from 1974’s KISS all the way through to 2012’s Monster except for the four solo albums, which I’ll review in June and July. Consider it a “summer break” from the studio albums.

I’ll start each review with my general opinion of the albums and then point out a few specific songs that really grab me. I’ll also take a brief look at things such as production issues that the band ran into while making some of the albums, the infighting and other controversies that plagued some of the albums, and which albums featured the best artwork, musicians, etc.

When I get to June, July, and the four solo albums, I’ll comment on those albums in the same fashion as the studio albums but I’ll also reveal some of the key bandmates that each member of the group pulled in for their work.

I’m a huge KISS fan so be prepared for plenty of bias in my reviews. Many of the songs that general audiences hate or even those that hardcore KISS Army members can’t stand will probably get a little more love than they deserve from me. For instance, there’s plenty that I love about Music From The Elder and Unmasked even though those two albums are almost always at the bottom of most KISS “favorite album” lists. Also keep an eye out for the occasional toy, t-shirt, or other memorabilia reviews from me about the band.

The fun starts Friday, January 21st and will continue on the last two Fridays of each month until the end of the year. Even during Thirty-One Days O’Horror in October I will review two albums in addition to my daily posts. I hope that you enjoy this journey with me and I thank you for reading my post. Get ready for the year of KISS!

Throwback Thursday: Uncle Buck (1989)

He’s Crude. He’s Crass. He’s Family.

Take a simple comedic setup and execute it with a cast of established and soon-to-be stars and you have the successful result that is 1989’s Uncle Buck. The film was a solid success that held the number one spot at the movies for three weeks. It starred John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and a young man whose career was just about to take off. I’m talking about Macaulay Culkin, of course, who would star in the smash family comedy Home Alone just a little over a year later. It’s probably not a coincidence that the writer and director of Uncle Buck also wrote Home Alone. That writer/director was John Hughes. If you were a child of the 80’s, your life was probably influenced in some way by at least one of the many films that Hughes wrote and/or directed including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and many, many more movies.

The film’s plot was basic. Buck is asked to watch his nieces and nephew while his brother and sister-in-law go to Indianapolis to check on her father who had a heart attack. Buck is the only person available to watch the kids and despite his sister-in-law’s protests, he’s left to take care of the family. Buck has never held a real job, never had many responsibilities, and loves to gamble, smoke cigars, and drink. Despite these less than wonderful qualities, Buck proves to be extremely good at watching the youngsters and manages to win over his extremely bitter teenage niece.

The movie is pieced together with one comedic skit after another, each being littered with heart, humor, and in a couple of cases, some pretty sinister tactics. Candy bumbles around as he attempts to do household chores but proves to be quite the cook, especially when it comes to his nephew Miles’ birthday. He stands up to a snobbish principal who believes that his youngest niece, Maizy, is too much of a dreamer. He punches out a drunk clown, takes the kids bowling, and squares off against his eldest niece Tia’s boyfriend on multiple occasions. He also has to reconcile his relationship with his girlfriend, Chanice, who believes that he concocted the babysitting story to get out of work and also fight off the advances of a horny neighbor, Marcie. Marcie also unknowingly becomes a pawn in a battle between Buck and Tia.

Some of the funniest moments in the film come at the expense of Tia’s boyfriend, Bug. Buck threatens him with a power drill, taunts him with a hatchet, and assaults him with golf balls. Bug proves to be the focal point of the divide that grows between Tia and Buck. Buck knows that Bug is up to no good but Tia refuses to see the truth. When things go south between her and Bug, Uncle Buck rises to the occasion and sends Bug off in a very unceremonious (and possibly illegal) way.

The film is loaded with an amazing cast. Candy was already a well established comedy actor by the time that Uncle Buck was released. Chanice was portrayed by Amy Madigan, herself an established actress with a number of amazing performances under her belt in films like Field of Dreams and even more to come in films such as Gone Baby Gone. Buck’s nieces and nephew also went on to bigger things. Maizy was portrayed by Gaby Hoffmann. Hoffmann has had a long and steady career that featured huge hits such as Field of Dreams, Sleepless in Seattle, and Now and Then, a successful theater career, and a number of successful television and streaming appearances in shows such as Girls and Transparent. The eldest niece, Tia, was portrayed by Jean Louisa Kelly. This film was Kelly’s cinematic debut and she would go on to star in a number of very good films on the big screen and in many TV films as well. She is probably best known for her work on Yes, Dear, a popular sitcom that lasted for six seasons. There isn’t much that needs to be said about Macaulay Culkin. Uncle Buck was one of his earliest film roles and could be considered the first major film in a string of huge hits for the actor. Culkin would go on to appear in multiple Home Alone films, My Girl, The Pagemaster, Richie Rich, and a number of other films. Speaking of My Girl, the star of that film, Anna Chlumsky, has a bit role in Uncle Buck as one of Maizy’s classmates. Jay Underwood portrayed Bug, Tia’s boyfriend. He was already a successful actor having starred in The Boy Who Could Fly, Not Quite Human, and The Invisible Kid. He would continue to have a solid career primarily in guest starring roles and in TV films. He also portrayed the Human Torch in Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four film. On a side note, I met Mr. Underwood a few years ago at the Lake Charles Film Festival. He was much nicer in person than he was in Uncle Buck. The final cast member that deserves mentioning is Laurie Metcalf. Portraying the nosy and horny neighbor Marcie, Metcalf has a few great moments in Uncle Buck. Metcalf is arguably the most successful member of this cast. Her career has spanned decades, has been nonstop, and features prominent roles in film, on stage, and on television. She was Aunt Jackie in Roseanne and The Conners, Andy’s mom in the Toy Story films, and Hillary Clinton on stage in Hillary and Clinton.

Yep, that’s me with Bug (Jay Underwood). He’s much nicer in real life!

Uncle Buck was no trailblazing film. It was simply a very strong comedy that featured a brilliant cast, a great story, and tons of heart. John Candy appeared in better films before and after this one, but there’s something about Uncle Buck that just sticks with you. Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me today. See you again soon!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse 2021 Justice League Aquaman

My First Toy Review Of The Year

I’ve been a fan of Aquaman for a very long time. I have fond memories of watching Aquaman as part of the Super Friends cartoon. I also remember his horrible harpoon hand, the cool but short-lived blue stealth suit that he had in the comics, and how he was often the butt of superhero jokes. With the recent DCEU films, Arthur Curry has become bigger and burlier. Jason Momoa’s performance as the half human/half Atlantean (along with Geoff Johns’ work on the character in the New 52) has all but erased the image of a soft, hapless hero in orange and green.

There have been numerous action figures of Aquaman released over the decades by a number of companies including Kenner and Mattel, but McFarlane Toys’ most recent entry is one of the best….and worst figures of the bunch. The DC Multiverse figure from McFarlane Toys came out as a result of the release of last year’s Snyder Cut of Justice League. Like all of the other figures in the line, Aquaman features amazing articulation. Unlike some of the other figures, he isn’t hindered very much due to armor or poor design. His long hair gets a tad in the way when attempting to turn Aquaman’s head but every other part has complete motion.

Like every other figure in this line, Aquaman comes with a collector card and a base. He also comes with his trident and no other accessories. Sadly, McFarlane didn’t include a second head or a second pair of hands to go with this figure. You get the big guy, his trident, a card, and the base. That’s it. The trident that I received was bent somewhat and I’m still working on shaping it. It’s also too large for Aquaman’s hands but I’ll get to that in a minute.

It should be noted that the detail on this figure is great. From the etchings on his armor to the amazing designs on his belt, Aquaman’s armor looks wonderful. The likeness to Jason Momoa is pretty good as well. I like the fact that they captured the scar over his eye. While the likeness isn’t perfect, it’s definitely one of the best resemblances in the 2021 JL figure line. He’s also just slightly taller than all of the other JL 2021 figures which, if I remember correctly, is accurate to the film as well.

As I mentioned earlier, Aquaman’s hand is too small to hold his trident properly. I had to fight to get the staff in his hand and it resulted in the paint on the figure rubbing off onto the trident. Also, when I finally got the trident in place, Aquaman’s thumb sticks out at an awkward angle and it also makes posing the arm tough since the trident naturally wants to lean forward in the ill-fitting hand. That’s a big misfire in my opinion. Couple that with the lack of additional accessories and a warped trident and this figure is both good and bad.

Trident with paint on it from Aquaman’s hand.

I will say that this is a good looking figure. I just dislike the issues that I’ve mentioned. It could have been so much better had McFarlane taken a little more time with the details on the figure itself. It would have been great to have at least one more accessory or a set of hands as well. For fun I’ve decided to include a photo of the JL figure alongside one of the budget figures from the Aquaman film. Both have their own merits and, to be honest, I really dig that budget figure a lot.

Thanks for checking out my post. I’ve only got Flash left to complete the JL 2021 figure line. I’m also hoping to get my hands on a Wonder Woman figure to finish off the group. For some reason I just haven’t been able to find a WW figure that looks like Gal Gadot in the face. Hopefully McFarlane has something coming along soon to remedy that.

2021 In Review

A Look Back At One Of The Most Challenging Years Of My Life

2021 was tough for me. It was tough for a lot of people. I found myself and my family still recovering from 2020’s Hurricane Laura and the damage that she did to southwest Louisiana. We started the year living in a camper trailer while we waited on our home to be repaired. While living in that camper, we faced a record-breaking freeze event in the southern United States. When we were finally able to move back into our home in July of this year, we had no lights in almost all of the house, terrible work done by our contractor who we ended up having to fight just to make our house reasonably decent again, a battle with the insurance company that has left us with no replacements for the furniture that we lost due to the hurricane, and more repairs that we’ve discovered that our terrible contractor missed. To top it all off, we still had to navigate a world battling COVID-19. Despite all of this I managed to continue posting on my blog and all of you continued to read. Here’s my annual breakdown of what all of you enjoyed the most, what you read the most, and what older posts managed to stay relevant this year.

The Witches Rise

My post about the Witches of Waverly Place from 2020 knocked last year’s biggest post, a gem from 2018 about 3-2-1 Contact, out of the top spot by over six hundred views! The post was clicked on by folks over eight hundred times. My biggest post from 2021 itself was a Spinmaster Toys Batman Action Figure review from January. It was clicked on over two hundred times. In all, I had over six thousand views of my home page this year. As of this writing, my page has been visited over thirteen thousand times since its inception in 2013.

Whatcha’ Lookin’ At?????

A new image rose to the top of the heap of photos that were clicked on my page. A photo of a Bela Lugosi test shot for Fantasia tied with last year’s champion, a photo of Ivy Doomkitty as the Rocketeer. Here’s a list of the top ten most clicked on photos for the year of 2021.

1. Lugosi Test Shot For Fantasia (Tie)

2. Cosplayer Ivy Doomkitty As The Rocketeer (Tie)

3. Spinmaster Collection Foldout

Coming in with a surprisingly strong third place showing is my own photo of one of Spinmaster’s Batman Action Figure Checklists.

4. Wilfred Jackson Test Shots For Fantasia

Not to be outdone by Bela Lugosi, animator Wilfred Jackson’s test shots for Chernabog in Fantasia came in with a solid lock on fourth place for most clicked pics.

5. Spinmaster Batman Action Figures

I started noticing a pattern form with my fifth most clicked photo. My many Spinmaster posts ranked high this year and it came as no surprise that my admittedly blurry photo of four Batman figures came in fifth place.

6. Crestwood Monsters Collection

Classic monsters never go out of style and this photo featuring the legendary Crestwood Monster Books won sixth place this year.

7. Disney World’s Alien Encounter

Disney’s now defunct ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter may be gone, but fans still want to get a look at the evil alien creature that once frightened folks of all ages!

8. MechaGodzilla

So far my list has been heavy on Disney related horror from 2020 with only two Spinmaster photos cracking the Top Ten so far from 2021, but MechaGodzilla makes his way into the eight spot!

9. Hogan’s Heroes Cast

2020 squeaks in with one last most clicked photo for the year with this cast photo from Hogan’s Heroes.

10. One of my most viewed photos of all time

Rounding out the Top Ten is a photo that has consistently been in my top ten lists since I first posted it six years ago. This wallpaper featuring the cast of Star Trek Continues and the post that it is contained within has always been popular with my readers.

Other items of note:

The country that clicked on my posts the most this year was the United States with over seven thousand clicks. From there, the United Kingdom (600+ clicks) came in second, Canada (500+ clicks) in third, Germany (almost 300 clicks)in fourth, and Mexico (200+ clicks) rounding out the top five. Australia came in sixth place with almost two hundred clicks followed closely by India, Brazil, France, and Russia.

I had three months with over one thousand views (March, September, and October) with October closing in on almost two thousand clicks. Last year I made a resolution to reach one thousand views in at least one month. Thank YOU for making that dream come to fruition in THREE months! Will I hit two thousand views for a month in 2022? Only you can make that happen and hopefully I’ll make posts interesting enough to earn your views!

I posted only 113 times this year which was ten less than last year but I’m not complaining considering all of the crap that I went through over the year. I hope to reach 150 in 2022. With November Noise, a planned review of all of KISS’ studio albums, and plenty of other toy, film, and festival reviews, I think that I’ll be able to make it. I also hope to attend a few conventions as well!

Google searches proved to be the way that most folks found my blog. The WordPress reader and Facebook came in second and third with only only point separating them. The AMP Project came in next and then it was Twitter which I’m still trying to navigate and understand.

Thank you again for making this my biggest year for views! That’s four years in a row that my viewership has increased! I appreciate each and every one of you and I hope to meet a few of you this year at conventions. Feel free to contact me via email, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. I really want to connect with all of you!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse 2021 Justice League Cyborg

My Final Toy Review Of The Year

We’re winding down 2021 and I’ll be posting my End Of Year Blog review on the 31st, but I decided to make one final review before the year ends. I managed to find a McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse 2021 Justice League Cyborg figure based off of Ray Fisher’s portrayal of the character in the Snyderverse version of Justice League. The figures from the this particular version of the film are hard to come by with the exception of Ben Affleck’s Batman figure. I hope to snag the other figures in this line but I am having trouble finding them at a reasonable price.

I’ve already reviewed the Batman and black suited Superman figures from this line and when compared to those two figures, Cyborg is unfortunately lacking. That’s not necessarily McFarlane’s fault, however, as they did an extremely good job of recreating the primarily CGI character from the film. The figure nails Ray Fisher’s look. Sadly, Cyborg has numerous soft plastic parts that make him look a lot like his film version but it’s these parts that make the figure awkward.

The biggest flaws in this figure can be found at his waist and shoulders. The waist hinge is exposed and makes the figure look cheap. The soft plastic shoulder pieces pop up whenever the arms are moved and while the articulation is great, it looks terrible whenever you pose the figure in any fashion with his arms raised. The “glow” from his chest looks more like a bloodstain which it could be as I still haven’t watched this film.

In the case of this figure, McFarlane is darned if they do and darned if they don’t. As I’ve already stated, the figure looks very similar to Ray Fisher’s portrayal of the character in the film but it’s the dead on look that actually hinders the overall appeal of this figure. Children that get this figure probably won’t care whether or not it looks a whole lot like Fisher but the flimsier pieces will most likely break after a little play time. Collectors will appreciate the striking likeness but won’t appreciate the pose options for display. In either case, McFarlane loses.

The figure does come with an arm accessory which separates in from most of the other figures in this line. The accessory attaches at the elbow and looks pretty good but it can be awkward to attach. It also comes with a standard collector card and base.

Ultimately this figure is more of a miss than a hit. I appreciate the attention to detail but am not a fan of the “blood stain” chest glow and the poor articulation pieces. The overall look is great but the flaws that I’ve mentioned make this figure a pass unless you’re a completionist or really love Cyborg. I fall into the latter category and try to snag as many Cyborg figures as I can as they are few and far between. I recommend snagging one of Spinmaster’s four inch Cyborg figures if you can find him. He doesn’t look like Ray Fisher but he’s a brilliant little figure.

Thanks for checking out my final review of the year. This has been a rough year to say the least but I’m alive and my family is healthy. Here’s to a great 2022!

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Three’s A Crowd?????

No, absolutely not. Three isn’t a crowd in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film brings three versions of the beloved Wallcrawler to the big screen in one big film and does a fine job for the most part. There are also five villains to contend with who, surprisingly, work quite well as a whole although a couple of them get shoved to the wayside in my opinion. If you’re looking for my spoiler free review, here it is: If you enjoyed the any of the Spider-Man films that starred any of the three Spideys in this flick, you’re going to enjoy this film. It does a fine job of blending the three heroes and their villains together without getting too confusing. It’s the most solid entry in the MCU since Captain America: The Winter Soldier as well. It’s not the best MCU flick out there, but it is the best one in a long time. Go see it. You won’t regret it.

So there you have it, my spoiler free review. Below this photo of Spidey and MJ, there be spoilers!!!

Spider-Man: No Way Home gives webslinging fans the closure that they deserve with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s respective Spider-verses. The Tom Holland story in this film basically sets up what will most likely be the basis of the plot in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. In the film, Mysterio has revealed to the world that Peter Parker is Spider-Man and, as a result, has pretty much ruined the lives of MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Jacob Batalon), Happy (Jon Favreau), and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), as well as poor Peter. In an attempt to fix things, Peter seeks out the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Strange reluctantly agrees to help Peter but while he’s casting a spell to fix things, Peter alters the spell five times. This results in five villains from other universes entering Peter’s world. It also brings along Andrew Garfield Amazing Spider-Man and Tobey Maguire’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Then things get a little bit screwy. Holland’s Spider-Man decides that he’s going to help “cure” the villains from the other universes and send them home where they will apparently arrive alive and well. By doing this, however, he causes even more trouble for his friends and family. He then teams up with Maguire and Garfield in order to cure the villains and then tries to have everything fixed yet again by Doctor Strange. It’s a pretty good plot but it’s also highly predictable.

Predictable, you say? Yes, it’s absolutely predictable. Of the five villains that come through to Peter’s world, I knew right away that Doctor Octopus and Sandman would want to be cured. Why? Because they really weren’t bad guys in their previous films. They were just good people placed into very bad situations. Electro? Oh, he started out as a decent enough guy, but once he tasted the electricity he wanted more of it. I figured that he would go either way in the movie and he did, literally, go from good to bad to good to bad and then good again. Lizard? Poor Lizard was an afterthought in this film. The one guy that I had complete confidence in going rogue was Green Goblin and he didn’t disappoint. Heck, he even went for the killshot on Aunt May (triggering some Maguire-like vengeance in Holland) and tried unsuccessfully to finish off Maguire’s Spider-Man. Does that mean that I disliked the film? Nope. I really enjoyed it. It was fun to see all three Spideys back on the screen and I loved seeing all of the villains return. But there were a few problems with the film.

Before I get into those problems I want to address some of the good things in this film. I’ve already mentioned how much I enjoyed seeing all of the Spider-Men and the villains back on the screen, but there were a lot of other good things about this film. First and foremost, the cast was strong. Zendaya has grown into her version of MJ. I didn’t care for her performance in Homecoming but she has impressed me in both of the sequels. She delivered one of the best performances in the bunch. Garfield comes in a close second and Maguire isn’t too far behind him. Of the villains, Willem Dafoe had the meatiest part as Green Goblin and he was given a lot more to do in this film than in his Maguire flick, but I can’t deny that Alfred Molina (Doc Ock) and Thomas Haden Church (Sandman) both did brilliant jobs as their respective villains. Electro was much better this time around but Jamie Foxx still seemed a bit off as the character. Rhys Ifans didn’t have much of anything to do in this film except to growl a bit and be the butt of a few dinosaur jokes.

I also enjoyed the action in this film. The CGI was obvious for pretty much the entire film, but the story held up enough that I looked beyond the film’s computer-generated shortcomings. I also liked many of the Easter eggs that popped up in the film. My favorite was the “Ditko” graffiti. I’m not going to tell you were it was because I want you to find it for yourself. I also enjoyed seeing Charlie Cox reprise his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. Many of the film’s scenes also hearkened back to the films of Maguire and Garfield. I enjoyed many of them but a few of them were pretty heavy handed. I also have to admit that with all of those Spideys and all of those villains running around, the film managed to stay fairly straightforward with ample time given to almost all of the characters. Perhaps the thing that I enjoyed the most is that with Peter no longer known by anybody as Spider-Man, the whole “Stark Industries supplies Spider-Man with all of his suits” business is done! That’s one of the biggest hang-ups that I have had with Holland’s Spider-Man. Overall it was a very good flick but some of the misfires bugged me.

Number One: Who in the heck was in charge of Benedict Cumberbatch’s hair and goatee???? They looked terribly fake on the screen.

Number Two: Why was there so much talking and “witty” banter between everyone all of the time? It’s funny when the Spideys all interact but it gets a bit long in the tooth as it continues throughout the film.

Number Three: We got five villains from the other Spider-verses but we had zero new baddies in Holland’s world unless you count Tom Hardy’s Venom in the mid-credits scene or MIT’s admissions department in the beginning of the film.

Number Four: Speaking of Venom, where was Topher Grace’s version???? I completely hated that character in Spider-Man 3 but it would have been wonderful to see him vindicated in this film. Plus, we could have had a decent Sinister Six outing in the movie.

Ultimately the good outweighs the bad in this film. On the surface it is your typical MCU film, generalized enough for mass audiences and film-only fans of Marvel who will wax (fairly recent) nostalgic about the heroes and villains of past versions of the character. It also contains just enough Easter eggs to appease fans of the actual comic books but also plenty that will make film-only fans feel “in the know” like comic readers. It gives the aforementioned closure to most of the villains introduced in the previous films of Garfield and Maguire as well. It’s a good film that deserves most of the accolades that it will most surely receive. It’s far from perfect but it’s the best Marvel film to come along in a long time in my opinion.

Thanks for reading my review. Please leave a comment whether you agree or disagree with me. I know that there are a ton of people out there that love this film wholeheartedly. That’s absolutely fine with me. I’m glad that they love it that much. I just hope that folks can look at this film beyond all of the hype and the rose-colored reviews that I’ve read so far. It’s good but it definitely isn’t perfect.