Toward the end of 2017, my buddies Derek, TC and I were discussing the idea of doing a podcast together. A few ideas came up, but the idea for a TGIF themed podcast came up, in jest, but as time went on, it turned out to be a good idea. So, from a silly group text discussion about Cody Lambert and Urkel, comes a new podcast!
Three great friends who have genuine love for these ridiculous shows and the insanity that went along with them. TGIF went through a lot of ups and downs during it's run and we plan on covering all of it! We all hope you enjoy the show and continue to listen. We've got some fun discussions coming and maybe even some fun guests from some of your favorite podcasts? Hmmm...I wonder who could stop by and join us?
Now, to clear up any confusion, The HorrorMovieBBQ Podcast, Graham and Chad Talk Rasslin' , and the Terror Twins Podcast are not going away. Far from it. In fact, you can expect more new episodes soon! This is just another show to sit down and chat with some geeky buddies about stuff we all love!
Kick back, grab some Ecto Cooler and some Pop Kwiz Popcorn (hopefully green!), and let's go back to the late 80s/early 90s for some good, clean TGIF-Fun (although, you may hear some blue language on this show.)
Oh and don't worry, we WILL get to the Urkel eventually!
Synopsis: Batman faces his coolest case ever when Mr. Freeze returns to Gotham
City and kidnaps Batgirl. While unraveling the mystery of Batgirl's
disappearance, Batman and Robin discover that she is part of Mr.
Freeze's frigid plan to save his dying wife - no matter what the
cost.With time running out, Batman and Robin must find Gotham's most
cold-blooded villain and prevent him from putting Batgirl "on ice"
forever.
Review: First off, I'm a huge Batgirl fan. Second, I'm a huge Mr. Freeze fan. So when this was announced in 1997, I was pretty happy. When I saw it, I was overjoyed. The Batman animated series, at that time, was in a transition phase going from Fox Kids to WB Kids! and in that time, a lot changed including character designs but the characteristics and themes in the series stayed the same.
This movie became the definitive chapter in Mr. Freeze's story and this bluray tells the entire story and actually presents him as the sympathetic, misunderstood character he is. Villain? It's kinda hard to classify him as one after his plunge into insanity after losing his wife. Now, of course, trying to abduct and murder the commissioners daughter and one of Gotham's greatest crimefighter would prove that theory wrong, but a movie like this will make you think he is more than just a cold-hearted villain. It delves more into his characteristics and backstory than ever before in any medium.
Now if you're a huge fan of Mr. Freeze, such as myself, you'll be happy to know that not just the movie is included but extra episodes from previous series, giving a fan the complete Mr. Freeze saga.
Bonus Features:
-Episodes: "Heart of Ice," "Deep Freeze," "Cold Comfort"
and "Meltdown."
-Art of Batman: Music Montage;
-Get the Picture: How to Draw Batman
-Theatrical Trailer
If you're a Batman fan of any kind, I highly suggest you pick this up. This is definitely a fantastic to your collection, especially considering the bonus episodes add to the Mr. Freeze story. A lot of great Batman movies are being released this year as well as the highly anticipated bluray debut Batman: The Animated Series, to be released later in the year. For now, though, this will whet your appetite.
You know me. You know that I love rabbits more than any other creature in the world. So of course once Valentines Day goes away, I know I'll become bombarded by every company in the world with their amazing bunny products for Easter. Now, much like Halloween, there's one store more than any other I expect to blow me away and give me almost an Easter sanctuary to visit when I'm feeling down. You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I'm talking Target. And when it came to delivering the fluffy goodness, they didn't let me down at all.
Hop Shop? Well, we're starting this experience off on the right foot...err...paw. Hey wait a minute...what's that near the produce section...
Bunny paws, eh? Hmmm...
Look I know better then to let my rabbits near the produce in my apartment otherwise I'll be out a dinner. I know this can't end well. Hey...is that...?
A-Ha! Of course! Bunnies love carrots, so it only makes sense that he'd stop in for a quick treat. After all, he's gotta get his energy for leaving Easter eggs all across the world. He deserves it!
Well there we are. Beginning at the front of the aisles, we're greeted by happy rabbits everywhere. But you have to be on your toes, much like the treats the Easter Bunny leaves for good children throughout the world, there will be fun Easter Eggs to be on the lookout for. Not just in the aisles but...
...the signage as well. That sneaky rabbit!
M&M's always brings the goods for every season. You can usually gauge what time of the year it is by the variety of the candy. This season is all about Neopalitan flavors, which I gotta be honest, I'm not a big fan of the dessert anyway, so I'll pass for now. But I get the sense those will be on every Easter brunch table. And hey, there's that sneaky rabbit again hiding behind those Peeps! Speaking of which...
I feel like every year, the Peeps madness just gets bigger and bigger. At the risk of sounding like a crazy old man, I can remember a time when peeps were yellow and pink and that was it. But now, we get every possible color and flavor as the somewhat avatar for every holiday and time of year. Which I happen to think is pretty awesome. A lemonade Peep for the summer? Ok, that has my attention. Until we get there though, let's gaze upon the marshmallow-y goodness and mass merchandising. A pillow buddy (or bunny buddy as I call it!), baskets, and festive headbands are offered to make your Easter season that more fun. You just know someone in your family is wearing that headband before getting drunk off red wine. You've been warned.
Gotta load up on your decorations. What fun is celebrating the season without large, crazy-looking signs and even a crazy wreath. I mean, my apartment is already overrun by spoiled rabbits, so technically that would be a good piece for all year round to hang on my door. The egg wreath though...yeesh. Not the biggest fan, but still pretty festive. I can't truly hate it mainly because it resembles something out of a John Waters movie. That's a lot of pastel.
Some motivation. "Hop To It". We all hit that wall when it comes to Easter planning and cleaning, but take a look at that sneaky rabbit. He doesn't know whether or not you can do this. A little reverse psychology on his part, because he's believed in you the entire time. Prove him right and keep up the hustle. That Easter bread isn't gonna bake itself, pal!
Oh stop everything. PAAS, the egg dying wizards are giving us something so amazing and charming. An egg whisk to help you dunk those eggs to make a new work of art. I'm pretty sure these are specifically made for coloring eggs but that won't stop me from buying it and attempting to make pudding using it. I'll post photos of my failure later...
This caught my eye on the end of the aisle, in a card display. Batman and Robin? An Easter message? Look I'm sure even the Dark Knight enjoys the lighthearted nature and joy that Easter brings to everyone but what message would the Dynamic Duo want to share with me? My gosh, this just too much suspense to handle! A warning of the Penguin's nefarious behavior? Could Mr. Freeze be on his way to ruin Easter? Can I expect to make a seat at my table for Alfred? Could the Sportsmaster try to ruin the traditional softball game my neighbors usually play out in the courtyard?
WHAT IS IT?
Of course. Batman and Robin found time to wish us a very happy Easter. Batman may be the world's greatest detective, but let us never forget that he's still a man of the people. Even if he's one that dresses up like a flying rodent.
Need some last second Easter basket ideas? Don't worry, Target's got your back. If you're not looking for a giant bag of Reese's or jelly beans, there's always fun little toys and single packed candy. I remember one time my mom put a GI Joe in my Easter basket, so I can totally imagine the joy of a child who gets fun Peep stuff, Reeses, and a My Little Pony plush! Not a bad selection...wait...hold up...
Cheez-It's and dirt cake too? Now we're getting serious. Don't get me wrong, the Chessman cookies are fantastic too, but these dollar offerings can make the most cynical person happy to celebrate the season.
If we're going to be honest with ourselves, as great as Reese's and Peeps are, they're not the true champions of Easter. Cadbury is. Or maybe it's just my opinion. Yeah, it's me. Look, I get that Cadbury Eggs have changed in size and recipe and have expanded to even Halloween.but there's just something so satsifying about eating these no matter what. I've always been a huge fan and much like eating my first bowl of Chocula around Halloween, I know it's not truly Easter until I have my first Cadbury Egg. The cream, the hard shell, and let's not ignore the fact that they still show that almost 30 year old commercial!
They may taste different but my gosh they're still so good! Even if they've got some competition in many forms...
...those eggs are great but it's truly hard to dethrone the king.
The last thing I saw before I left were these adorable plush figures and dolls. Bunnies, chicks, happy sheep and wooden pull-string dolls. Target offers them every year and I can't help but get a huge smile across my face every time I lock eyes on them. Those chubby sheep are just too adorable and I want to buy all of these to create the happiest farm diorama you could ever imagine.
Well, it's time to go. But it's been a fun trip and I'm sure next year will be...WAIT WHAT IS THAT?!?!?
A BB-8 BASKET?!?!?!?! Yup, just hiding right around the corner waiting for the right person to come adopt him, is our favorite droid from the new Star Wars movies. Easter just got even better. Don't discount Mickey and Minnie's feelings either. They're happy to see their colleague get the spotlight, they know they're gonna be around for more holidays so let the droid win this one. A BB-8 holiday basket though? Makes sense! He's the perfect companion and very loyal, so how much joy does he get knowing he can help provide a very memorable Easter morning? That's a real friend.
That's all she wrote, folks. Easter isn't exactly the biggest and most money-making holiday, but it's a nice time to enjoy bunnies and chocolate eggs. What better way to kick off Spring?
It's been a while since I've featured WWF Hasbros on the blog, which considering how great they are, makes no sense. I should at least be doing 8 writeups a day on how great they are. Until that happens, we'll have to just spend a few moments looking at some of the finest (and not so finest) mini-superstars, as Lord Alfred Hayes would refer to them as. So bust out that beat up ring, grab some Ecto Cooler and let's check out some of the best figures from a byegone era!
Hacksaw Jim Duggan:
A favorite of so many young kids due to his loud and reckless behavior as well as giving fans the thumbs up as he enters the ring, Jim was one of the biggest WWF superstars in the late 80s/early 90s and the only wrestler to, my knowledge, who walks down to the ring with a giant board to beat up bad guys and still be perceived as a good guy. His action feature of slamming his fist down like your drunk uncle at a picnic and bashing his opponents with his 2x4 (missing here) makes him easy to play with but not as easy to look at. Then again, Jim will be the first to tell you he didn't get through life based off looks.
The Mountie:
Oh boy, this guy caused some controversy in his day. Originally just a comedy heel character who hit people with a cattle prod and screamed "I ALWAYS GET MY MAN!", The Mountie actually got his biggest amount of heel-heat with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Apparently they didn't find the joke as funny and deemed him to be a poor interpretation of their values and demanded he not portray this character when preforming in Canada.
Another figure that came with an accessory that gets lost all too easily but that doesn't stop this figure from being a load of fun and looking great in your collection. Play value isn't there as much due to his awkward hat being in the way of some fun moves but come on, you totally want this figure! Look at how smug he is! It's like he just wants you to beat him up! Just...don't do that to the actual Mounties. They're nice.
Demolition Crush:
Make no mistake about it, Demolition is my all time favorite tag team. Ax and Smash literally made history by having the longest tag team title run until it was broken by New Day in 2017. They looked like Jason Voorhees and Kiss had two babies and made no apologies about beating their opponents in nasty fashion. Of course, when it was time to wind down, and Ax got sick, WWF brought in a new member of the team: CRUSH! Crush was a little hard to swallow as a fan because we had been accustomed to Ax and Smash for so long. He wasn't as popular as the the classic team but his figure is pretty cool. I'm a fan of the clothesline feature, mainly due to the joint of the elbow that made it easier for the figures to grab a hold of their opponent and slam them down. Crush, as a figure looks great and was actually only available in a two pack with Smash, but did little to bring steam back to the dying team.
British Bulldog:
Davey Boy Smith was one of the most impressive specimens in wrestling but also one of the most "hired/fired" records. Vince McMahon always had a soft spot for Davey, as did the fans, so he brought him in and let him go multiple times. Of course, he always had something new in store for Davey. For a lot of fans, this is the era that defined him. I find it funny that in the early 90s, one of Bulldog's biggest opponents was The Warlord and they both share the same action feature. Which would make it easier to recreate their far from exciting feud. I just wish they could've done something about that Mad Magazine face of his but otherwise, it's a great figure.
Jim Neidhart
I've got a lot of love for this figure mainly because it makes Jim look like a cereal pitchman. Known as "The Anvil" or simple "a big rhino", Jim was the muscle of the feared Hart Foundation duo as compared to the brains of Bret Hart. This figure depicts him in his later solo career where he wore Hammer pants, yellow boots with what seem to be a checkered pattern from a bicycle helmet, and looked as if he should've been guest starring on a TGIF show. Having that awesome "clothesline" feature and a very puffy stomach with a six-pack, this may be my favorite of this particular lot. Mainly due to his taxi-cab/Hammer pants and crazy grin.
Some of the most interesting figures from the time. Most memorable? Perhaps not, but
still fun nonetheless!
A little late, but don't let that stop you from ordering these great Umbrella titles! A really fun (and different) variety hit shelves last month!
Riptide:
Film synopsis
After a humiliating modelling incident, Cora (Debby Ryan) books a
one-way ticket out of New York, final destination: Australia. Expecting a
five-star holiday with her Aunt Margot, Cora realises all too late that
her idyllic beachside retreat has no internet access and is miles from
the nearest city. Cora feels trapped, but as time goes by, friendships
bloom and romance sparks between her and handsome Tom. And when the
community realises Cora’s hidden talent as a fashion designer, they rope
her into creating the outfits for the big Surf Festival.
Thoughts: I grew up near the beach in Maryland, so naturally, anything that reminds me of the beach is something I'll dive into. And any kind of surf movie, I'm totally into. So when I heard Umbrella was putting out a surf movie starring Debby Ryan, I kinda had to go all in. And of course being a fan of silly teen movies, it was an easy sell.
This movie has the feel of a Disney movie done in Australia which is pretty fun, considering how huge surfing culture is in the land down under. There's not as many American surf movies anymore, I feel like that trend kinda died off in the 80s and 90s once skatebaording and BMX movies came into the arena and took over but every once in a while we'll see one pop up. Glad to see that this got a fun release and that it's making a...splash...on Netflix as well!
Synopsis:A champagne tycoon's (Furneaux) partner (Ronet) suspects his partner's gigolo husband (Perkins) of murders he's been framed for.
Thoughts: Anytime I can find Anthony Perkins movies that I've never heard of before, I'm a happy boy. For someone so charismatic and so talented, he's only remembered as Norman Bates. With so many other great and maybe even forgotten roles. In this French thriller, Perkins really shines through and really makes this his own movie.
Synopsis: Run Chrissie Run is a thriiling game of cat and mouse. Chrissie
(Annie Jones) and her mother Eve (Carmen Duncan) suddenly become the
pray of a group of international terrorists. As they run for their
lives, Chrissie learns the terrible secrets of her mother's past and the
shocking identity of her real father. Thoughts: Since becoming a fan of Umbrella, I've fallen head over heels with the world of Ozploitation. The he grungy nature of the stories, the action, the raw sexuality and violence. These movies are absolutely incredible and Run Chrissie Run is just another great selection. I feel like had I discovered a movie like this on vhs, it would've become a fast favorite. Glad to see Umbrella is putting out the effort to restore movies such as this and introduce a brand new audience (even continents away!) to this great genre of movies! You can pick these up and so many more great movies over at Umbrella Entertainment . -Chad
Synopsis: " Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s
selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana
Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman
work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against
this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this
unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and
The Flash-it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault
of catastrophic proportions."
Thoughts: Whereas Batman vs. Superman divided fans and in a lot of fans minds, started this whole "DC Extended Universe" off the wrong foot. It was too dark, it was too long, too many stories, etc, etc. My opinion aside, a lot of fans weren't willing to accept this as their cinematic universe. But thankfully since Wonder Woman, fans started loosening up and looking at the films with a little bit more acceptance. And once Justice League hit, fans were who were let down by previous movies were ready to give the series another chance. A lot of that had to do with the reshoots done by Joss Whedon and the announcement that Zack Snyder would be taking a break from the movie.
Justice League is, visually, a bigger movie than BVS. On top of that, after hearing so much fan response over the darkness in the previous movie, more humor and heart was interjected. I think adding light heartedness helps the movie and the future of the series. Personally, I prefer the DC movies to maintain more of a dark feel, but after seeing what they were able to deliver, I'd be ok with more movies in this vein.
The team dynamic is really the main focal point in this movie. Picking up after Superman's death, the team bands together to make the world a safer place. Characters briefly introduced in BVS, Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash join the ranks of Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman to take down Steppenwolf, Darkseid's uncle and the first of what appears to be many villains that stand in the way. This is pretty close to the original comics, as we'd see the main characters go around courting new members to join the League.
Justice League is a great step into the future for DCEU and it's fan response shows it. I hope with the release of this bluray, anyone who was on the fence with watching it before in the theater, will give it a solid chance. The action is there, the special f/x were good, the story is fun and the villain is larger than life. I'm really excited to see where the series goes from here.
Oh and for those curious, the "Return of Superman" deleted scenes are pretty fun. I highly suggest checking those out. Especially the scene with Alfred. You'll be happy with what you see!
