Houston Horror Film Fest 2024

Houston Marriott Westchase, August 10th

This was my third year attending the Houston Horror Film Fest. Work prevented me from attending all three days, but I made the most of my Saturday at the event. There were tons of excellent independent horror films to view, a great selection of vendors, and a celebrity list that rivals some of the largest conventions in the United States. Some of the guests included most of the Cullen family from the Twilight films, the cast of the original Pet Sematary film, and scream queens such as Heather Langenkamp, Monica Keena, and Felissa Rose. There were also quite a few of our favorite slashers in attendance such as Chris Durand, Jonathan Breck, Alex Armbruster, and Kane Hodder.

I had my sights set on acquiring one autograph and selfie this year, and that was from Emily Perkins, better known to werewolf fans as Brigitte Fitzgerald from the Ginger Snaps films! She also appeared in the original television mini-series adaptation of It, Supernatural, and had a hilarious role in Juno. When I arrived at the event, I quickly got into the pre-purchased tickets line, acquired my bracelet, and got ready to seek out Mrs. Perkins. After a quick run through the vendor areas, I found her, and proudly showed off my “Bailey Downs Field Hockey” shirt, which she said that she loved and laughed at for a moment. I got my autograph and my selfie and headed back out into the crowd to check out the vendor area.

I roamed all over the vendor area. There were VHS copies of classic films, a ton of shirt and art sellers, homemade items, and even some sweets! I sought out some Scream merchandise for my daughter and then grabbed a quick bite to eat. I also had an amazing time checking out all of the amazing cosplays on display. I’ll include a few in the gallery below.

There were some amazing cosplayers at the festival, but my favorites were from The Shining and Alice, Sweet Alice. Sure, there were more elaborate costumes on the floor of the event, but how many times have you ever come face to face with an Alice, Sweet Alice cosplay????

I can’t wait until next year hits, and thankfully the gang at the Houston Horror Film Fest can’t wait, either, as they’ve already announced their Haunted Halloween Horror Market And Music Fest. No guests have been announced yet, but if I can get away from my job for a bit, I’m definitely going to check it out.

Thanks, Houston Horror Film Fest, for putting on another wonderful show. I’m ready for next year. I hope to see all of my readers there!

Mattel The Hammond Collection Isla Sorna Velociraptor Encounter Pack

“Those things know we have the eggs.”

Jurassic Park III may not be the most beloved film in Jurassic Park history, but it definitely had its moments. In fact, I actually prefer it to Jurassic Park: The Lost World. It’s an action yarn through and through, and I love it for that fact. Way back in November of 2022, Mattel released The Hammond Collection Isla Sorna Velociraptor Encounter Pack. I finally got my paws on this set earlier this year. Thanks to a number of major life events, I’m only getting to review the collection today.

The set arrived in a brown box, but whenever I opened it, it turned into a beautifully boxed pair of action figures with accessories. The set comes with Dr. Alan Grant, a velociraptor, two raptor eggs, a second set of hands for Dr. Grant, the bag that the eggs were stored in during the film, and Billy’s lucky bag.

The raptor comes with a multitude of articulation points, much more than other raptors in the same line. It has articulated hips, knee joints, shoulders, elbows, two POA in the neck and an opening jaw. Its tail also has a wire in it that allows you to pose the tail in a number of ways. I’ve included a photo with another velociraptor for comparison.

Dr. Grant bears a very good resemblance to Sam Neill. Unfortunately his hat is not removable. The figure stands at 3.75″ tall. Billy’s backpack can be placed upon Dr. Grant’s back with relative ease. He can also carry the bag that holds the eggs in the film.

The accessories are pretty cool. I love the fact that the eggs can be stored in the black bag. The extra hands are nice, but I would have loved to have a second head for Dr. Grant. The bag’s strap moves so that you can adjust its look on Dr. Grant.

I really like both of these figures. I also love the backpack and bag as well. The packaging is also brilliant. I am now on the hunt for John Hammond, Dennis Nedry, and Ray Arnold. I’ve included a couple of photos with some other figures from this collection. Let me know what you think of this figure or any of the other figures in this line in the comments below.

Thanks for checking out my post!

Calcasieu Serialfest: Chapter 10!

Cosplayer and all-around cool guy, William Necessary, stares down Kirk Alyn, better known as the first big screen Superman!

Brimstone Museum Annex, Sulphur, LA

July 13th marked the tenth year of Calcasieu Serialfest. It took place once again in Sulphur, Louisiana at the Brimstone Museum Annex, a part of the wonderful Henning Cultural Center. The tenth anniversary was marked by a full day of classic chapters from some of the greatest superhero serials of all time. There were four blocks of chapters, each one opening with a Max Fleischer Superman cartoon.

As always, admission was free. This year’s event featured the largest crowd in the festival’s ten year history. Attendees received free posters, prints, and stickers. They also received the second series of collectable Serialfest trading cards!

Cosplayer Bill Necessary donned multiple costumes during the event. He introduced each block of chapters with a brief history of the characters and their serials. He also posed for photos with attendees.

Chapters were shown from a total of nine different serials including Superman (1948), The Adventures Of Captain Marvel (1941), Spy Smasher (1942), and The Green Hornet (1940). Four Fleischer Superman cartoons were also shown. Guests revolved in and out of the festival all day.

Next year’s event will celebrate Republic Pictures, one of the most prolific producers of serials during the early days of cinema. Be sure to join us if you can in July, 2025!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse: Catwoman (Arkham City)

“It’s Just Little Ol’ Me.”

Released in 2022, the McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Arkham City Build-A-Figure line was quickly on my radar. It came in two versions: a color version and a Walmart exclusive Gold Label black-and-white variant. I’ve put eyes on all four figures in the line, Batman, Catwoman, Penguin, and Ra’s Al Ghul, and after seeing them in person, the only one that I really liked was Catwoman. While I would love to collect all four of the figures to build the Solomon Grundy Build-A-Figure, I don’t want to pay full retail for the set. Luckily for me, I found Catwoman on clearance in northern Louisiana and had to scoop her up before someone else got her!

Catwoman is the second figure in the line and the best looking figure in the bunch. She comes with one accessory, her whip, and the standard figure base and collector card. She also comes with the torso portion of the Solomon Grundy Build-A-Figure. She looks amazing. She features a ton of details from her boots all the way down to the “claws” on her gloves. Her suit is textured head to toe. It looks wonderful.

As far as articulation goes, Catwoman is loaded with the typical McFarlane POA. Her toes bend and she has swivel ankles. Her head is somewhat limited due to her flared collar, but it isn’t that big of a deal. She’s fairly easy to pose as well.

It’s a real shame that the other figures in this particular Build-A-Figure line are subpar. The Ra’s Al Ghul figure is especially underwhelming. I’ve never been a fan of the massive bat-ears on Batman, either. The Penguin just looks rough. They might look great in the game, but they don’t impress me in figure form. I had the chance to get the Penguin figure at a discounted price as well, but passed on it because the line just disappoints me as a whole. That being said, the Catwoman figure is perfection and you should add her to your collection. The figure is so awesome that I’m going to include a photo of one of my favorite cosplayers, Beku Cosplay, as Catwoman as captured by Vodka Photos.

Thanks for checking out my post. I’ll have more figure reviews in the near future!

McFarlane Toys DC Mulitverse: MR. FREEZE (Batman & Robin)

“The Iceman cometh!”

Arnold Schwarzenegger served up a heaping helping of cheese in 1997’s Batman & Robin. He dished out one cold line after another, fully embracing his role as Victor Von Fries, better known as the villainous Mr. Freeze. Freeze partnered up with Poison Ivy in an attempt to steal enough diamonds to fuel his research to save his dying wife. As loud and dumb as this film was, Schwarzenegger managed to put quite a bit of heart into the role of Mr. Freeze, making him something of a sympathetic villain.

McFarlane Toys’ released a four figure wave based upon Batman, Robin, Batgirl, & Poison Ivy from the Batman & Robin film, and if you collect all of them all, you can assemble the Build-A-Figure of Mr. Freeze as played by Schwarzenegger in the film. He’s a really cool-looking figure that is definitely worth the cold, hard cash that I put up to get him.

Here’s a rundown of which pieces come with each figure in the line:

  • Batgirl – head, pauldrons, freeze gun
  • Poison Ivy – torso
  • Robin – arms and ice accessories
  • Batman – legs and ice accessories

The figure was easy to assemble, with all of the pieces locking into place with a nice “snap.” The freeze gun fits well into Mr. Freeze’s right hand. The left hand can be used to hold the vertical grip on the front of the gun. The figure’s articulation is pretty limited, with the pauldrons preventing full range of motion on the shoulders and the legs having fewer POA compared to the other figures in this line. Plus, Mr. Freeze is bulky, so he can’t move too well even if he wanted to do so.

As far as the design of the figure goes, it’s a bit lacking. The face looks really great, but the matte blue/grey paint applications can’t compare to Schwarzenegger’s shiny, silver look from the film. All of the parts of Mr. Freeze’s suit that light up in the film are simply painted with light blue coloring. I would have preferred it if McFarlane would have used translucent plastic on these parts like they did with the top and back of Mr. Freeze’s head. The details on the suit look decent, but a ton of detail was left out and probably with good reason, as the suit in the film has a ridiculous amount of detail. I also wish that McFarlane would have gone with silver paint on the suit instead of the molded grey that is used on the figure.

I’m still really happy with this figure overall, and hope that McFarlane will release an updated or alternate version of it at some point in the future. He looks awesome on my shelf, especially when he’s surrounded by the rest of the figures in this line. My dream figure from McFarlane of Mr. Freeze would be him in his smoking jacket, complete with polar bear slippers and a cigar. If McFarlane is reading this, please consider this release!!!!! Pretty please?!?!?!?

This brings my review of all of the figures in the Batman & Robin Build-A-Figure wave to an end. I hope that you enjoyed these reviews and I thank you for reading them! See you soon!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse: BATMAN (Batman & Robin)

“Hi, Freeze. I’m Batman.”

A film starring my favorite superhero (Batman) and one of my favorite supervillains (Mr. Freeze) should be one of my most beloved films of all time. Unfortunately for myself and a ton of other Batman fans, 1997’s Batman & Robin was a terrible, brightly colored mess. Leading the charge in this caped crusader caper is none other than People Magazine’s sexiest man alive (1997 and again, for some weird reason, in 2006), George Clooney. Clooney was on fire at the time, appearing in the successful series ER and the Quentin Tarentino flick, From Dusk Til Dawn. His career would continue to grow……but no thanks to Batman & Robin. Clooney has openly admitted that he was terrible in the film, and he consistently ranks at the bottom of most “Favorite Batman” lists.

Despite the fact that Clooney is my least favorite live action Batman, I plopped down some cold, hard cash in order to purchase McFarlane Toys’ version of Clooney’s Batman in his black suit from the 1997 Batflop. I mainly bought it in order to complete the Mr. Freeze Build-A-Figure, but I have to admit that this is a pretty cool action figure. Clooney’s Batman is the fourth and final figure in this particular Build-A-Figure line that also includes Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Robin.

Clooney’s Batman looks awesome in action figure form. The black suit is covered in some type of fine powder (possibly a byproduct of the plastic production). Batgirl and Robin also suffered from this, but to a greatly smaller degree. The powder wipes off easily enough, so it’s not necessarily a big deal. Batman’s cape is soft plastic and looks wonderful. His gauntlets, like Robin’s, feature some pretty sharp “bat fins” that might hurt little kids, so be careful if a child is playing with this figure. The suit features a ton of detail including the bat insignia on the chest and boots. It includes the infamous “bat nipples” like the Robin figure as well. The likeness to George Clooney (or at least his chin), is pretty much perfect. Batman’s articulation is great as well. Like the Robin figure, Batman’s arms can easily move up and down and aren’t bothered by the cape at all due to the fact that the cape is placed out of the way on the figure.

Batman comes with two “freeze” accessories that attach to his hands. They are somewhat awkward looking and I don’t particularly care for them. The figure also comes with the standard collector card and figure base. When it comes to the Mr. Freeze Build-A-Figure, Batman comes with Freeze’s massive legs.

As much as I dislike Clooney’s performance in Batman & Robin, I absolutely love this figure. The accessories are lame and the powder is annoying, but neither of these things stop me from recommending this figure to any fan of Batman. He’s definitely worthy of shelf display.

Thanks for checking out my post! The final post, which will feature another look at all four of the Batman & Robin figures and, most important of all, the fully assembled Mr. Freeze Build-A-Figure, is coming tomorrow. See you then!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse: ROBIN (Batman & Robin)

“My rubber lips are immune to your charms.”

Despite a bad script and some terrible special effects, Chris O’Donnell did a fairly reasonable job as Robin/Dick Grayson in 1997’s Batman & Robin. He was one of the funniest parts of the film and worked well with his co-stars. McFarlane Toys has added a figure of O’Donnell’s Robin in his black and red suit to its Mr. Freeze Build-A-Figure line. He is the third figure in the line following Batgirl and Poison Ivy.

The figure features a very good likeness of Chris O’Donnell as Robin. It also features the oversized “red robin” chest logo that goes across both of Robin’s shoulders and down his arms to his wrists. The rest of the figure is black and much like Batgirl, features a ton of detail including more “robin” logos on the belt and boot tops. The cape is soft plastic. Robin’s gauntlets feature some pretty sharp bat spurs, so be careful if a young child plays with this figure. He also comes with the infamous “bat-nipples” that every fan of the film loves…..cough. The figure moves freely at every point of articulation. The cape is behind the shoulders, so Robin can lift his arms straight up into the air. This is a good looking figure, and is a great addition to this line.

Unlike Poison Ivy and Batgirl, Robin actually comes with two accessories. They are “freeze” appliances that can be snapped onto his body…..I think. McFarlane isn’t very clear on where to apply these accessories, so I pretty much just set them to the side. He also comes with the standard base and collector card. As for the Build-A-Figure, Robin comes with Mr. Freeze’s arms.

While he is slightly less impressive than Batgirl and Poison Ivy, McFarlane’s version of Robin from Batman & Robin looks pretty sweet. He’s a welcome addition to my collection.

Thanks for checking out my post. I have one more figure to review in this series before I reveal the completed Build-A-Figure! See you soon!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse: POISON IVY (Batman & Robin)

“So many people to kill….so little time.”

With love dust, a poison kiss, and Bane at her side, Poison Ivy was a terrifically terrible villain in 1997’s Batman & Robin. Portrayed by Uma Thurman in the film, Poison Ivy teams up with Mr. Freeze in order to take over Gotham City and, eventually, the world. McFarlane Toys captures Ivy in a surprisingly beautiful figure that is almost as captivating as Uma Thurman in the film.

Poison Ivy is the second figure in the McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Build-A-Figure Batman & Robin line. She’s a wonderful figure and quite possibly my favorite figure in this particular lineup. McFarlane did a fine job of capturing Uma Thurman’s likeness on this figure and aside from her head, hindered by her hair, her articulation is flawless. Her costume is also beautiful and full of plant details, all the way down to the ivy leaf in her palm. The coloring and a few small details don’t quite match up with the on-screen costume, but I’m more than willing to look beyond these minor errors due to the fact that the figure looks amazing overall.

Ivy comes with ZERO accessories except for the standard figure base and collector card. The collector card features an image of Ivy from the film’s poster and the exact same text that is found on all of the other cards in this series. As far as the Build-A-Figure goes, Poison Ivy comes with Mr. Freeze’s torso. One thing of special note is that there are socket “rings” inside of the torso’s arms that pop out with ease and could easily be lost. The right ring popped out while I was extracting the torso from the packaging, and had I not seen it pop out, I probably wouldn’t have even realized that it was gone.

I’ve provided a number of images in this post so that you can get a good look at all of the details in this figure. It’s an extremely beautiful figure and if you’re strictly a fan of Poison Ivy, it’s a must have. Of course, if you plan on building Mr. Freeze, this figure is also a must. I really hope that McFarlane releases another figure of Ivy in her green body suit from the film. This figure is for every DC Multiverse collector.

Thanks for checking out my post. More bat-tastic reviews are on the way!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse: BATGIRL (Batman & Robin)

“I want to help Batman and Robin.”

Although the 1997 Batman & Robin film is one of my least favorite films in the DC Universe, I have to admit that I really, really liked the costumes and some of the characters. One of the characters that I really enjoyed seeing on the big screen was Batgirl/Barbara Wilson, portrayed by Alicia Silverstone. McFarlane Toys recently released a four figure collection based on characters from the film that includes Batgirl, Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), Robin (Chris O’Donnell), and Batman (George Clooney). Collecting all four of the figures allows you to assemble the Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Build-A-Figure. Batgirl is the first figure in the set. Let’s take a look at her.

The McFarlane Batgirl figure features a very good likeness of Alicia Silverstone. Her costume is based upon her black outfit from the film. Considering the fact that it is completely black, McFarlane didn’t have to waste many resources on paint. The details in the suit, which are plentiful, look very nice. Batgirl’s articulation is awesome as well. She is only hindered at the neck due to her long hair. Her cape is made of a very soft plastic that makes it very flexible. It does not, however, change shape.

McFarlane is notorious for having limited accessories with their DC Multiverse figures, but this particular Build-A-Figure set is atrocious. Batgirl comes with ZERO accessories. The only thing she comes with are the standard DC figure base and collector card (which features artwork from the film’s poster). As for the Build-A-Figure accessories, Batgirl comes with Mr. Freeze’s head, pauldrons, freeze gun, and a freeze gun “blast” that can be attached to the gun. Also, it’s pretty refreshing to see a McFarlane figure with an actual gun, as Warner Bros. pushed to have a “no gun” policy with McFarlane’s DC Multiverse line.

Batgirl is a great looking figure and a wonderful addition to my collection. I’ll be reviewing all of the figures in this line over the next few days, culminating in a review of the Mr. Freeze Build-A-Figure. Thanks for checking out my review!

Fouke Monster Festival 2024

Fouke, Arkansas

Myself and my Filmsquatch co-host, Patrick Bennett, made our way to the legendary town of Fouke, Arkansas to enjoy our third visit to the Fouke Monster Festival on Saturday, April 27th. The event took place at the Fouke Middle School and featured a number of excellent speakers and guests. Filmsquatch had a table set up at the event and we had a great time getting to know some of our loyal listeners and introducing a few new fans to our show. We also had an excellent time meeting the Fouke Monster and talking with the young ladies that set up their Arky Creations table across from us at the event.

I’ll be completely honest and say that I was humbled to hear that most of the folks that we talked to at the festival had either listened to our show or heard about Filmsquatch. Even better, all of them seemed to enjoy the show! We actually signed a few autographs at the event! It makes me very happy to know that the moronic musings of myself and Patrick have brought a little joy to the Bigfoot community. I am very grateful to each and every person that has listened to our podcast. I really appreciate all of you wonderful people.

Of course, no trip to Fouke is complete without visiting the Boggy Creek Boutique and the Monster Mart. Patrick and I were happy to catch up with Jeff and Cindy Sheldon, the owners of the Boggy Creek Boutique, and two of our coolest friends. They’ve gone above and beyond in promoting us and our show, and we’ll be forever grateful to them for their support. If you are ever in the Fouke area, swing by their shop and tell’em Filmsquatch sent you! I snapped up some delicious apple barbecue sauce from Leaf On The Wind Studios and my favorite salsa from Gladden Farms at the boutique. Patrick and I were both gifted shirts from the boutique as well. Oh, and be sure to check out our signed photo on the boutique’s wall of fame! We’re hanging out with some horror legends! It’s great to know that we gave good friends in the Fouke area. They feel just like family.

Just before leaving Fouke, we stopped off at the Monster Mart. They’ve added more items to their Boggy Creek area and have also added a few new things to their museum as well. I picked up a Boggy Creek license plate (which is currently on my car) and an energy drink for the road. Patrick also grabbed a few souvenirs as well.

Patrick and I plan on making more trips to Fouke later this year. I’ll be sure to let all of you know about our continuing adventures as Filmsquatch. As always, thanks for checking out my posts. Be sure to check out the Filmsquatch podcast as well. Just click the hyperlink at the beginning of this post. Also, be sure to visit all of the other links in this post and feel free to share those pages with your friends!