It's not Halloween without the presence of certain things: Candy Corn, pumpkin candles, horror movie marathons on tv, and of course
DinosaurDracula, the amazing Halloween icon who has been entertaining us with some spooky goodness for almost 20 years now and in those years, he's also offered us some great maildays with his iconic FunPacks. I don't normally purchase FunPacks or subscription boxes as much as I used to, but Matt's FunPacks are usually the lone exception. This months subscription box may be his best yet...
So if I'm going to review this, I'll need a little assistance from a mini Dinosaur Dracula himself...
Thems the goods right there. So much Halloween goodness in one small package! Coming home to this after a long work day really helped turn my mood around. It's almost like that same feeling as when you were a kid and that mailaway toy finally arrived! I've ordered a few packs before, but this was one I couldn't turn down for multiple reasons:
POSTER AND STICKERS:
As we see in this awesome poster, Rark (of the infamous My Pet Monster Family) is enjoying his Halloween early with a rather spooky looking vintage Cherry Coke can. Although he seems to be taking his sweet time, because those spider-webs look rather fresh. Hope there's no arachnid shenanigans in that can!
The stickers are pretty fantastic as well, which depict the mascot of the site as Freddy Krueger and in another, represent DinoDrac After Dark, which became Matt's "secret site" after midnight! I'm a huge sticker collector, so these will certainly be put to good use once I get a new laptop or even on my VCR which is literally more sticker than machine at this point.
TRADING CARDS:
Uhoh...my weakness! I can't come across packs of cards and NOT open them. I have a lot of friends who would this to be sacral but it's hard enough for me not to open action figures on my wall, but trading cards are even tougher. I don't think I can just sit here looking at them. It would drive me crazy knowing something amazing is inside. And I was right...
A somewhat-Garbage Pail Kids-style Slappy from the Goosebumps pack and Eric Idle from the Casper pack. I definitely made the right decision. Both are incredible cards on their own, but together, a spooky and hilarious force to be reckoned with.
THEY LIVE FILM CELL:
Now this is a real treasure! An actual film cell from my favorite John Carpenter film starring my hero Roddy Piper in fun custom packaging! So many legendary moments in this iconic and frightening movie, so I'm sure there's potential for a real fun and unique collectible. Let's see which frame I got...
I could be mistaken but that looks like the scene where John Nada is at the bank and starts blowing those weird faced aliens away. And a great shot at that too! Roddy looks pretty pissed off and ready to fight someone, which to be fair...was pretty Roddy in a nutshell. This will be a great item for my Roddy Piper collection!
A little overwhelmed already? Take a seat and check out these important reports. A FunPack Newsletter which is included in every month's delivery and a trademark story from Matt's youth. This month's enthralling tale is all about the time our hero watched Blair Witch for the first time. I'd continue, but I don't wanna ruin any spoilers for any future podcast or article material. Rest assured, it's a fun writeup!
Ok, back into the goods. After a fun reading break, you're gonna want to physically simulate yourself. Good thing too because these fun little mini figures from Spain came right in time! The weird skeleton and executioner not only make fun additions to your figure collections but fun Halloween decorations as well!
As great as the two are, this executioner kills me. He looks like something out of an EC Comics cover or something!
Oh yeah, that's brutal!
UTZ MINI CHEESE BALLS:
Always included in every monthly box is a mini snack, usually pertaining to the main theme of the season and these were a welcome addition. UTZ has always been a successful ingredient to any Halloween party or even inside a trick or treat bag. The little bag helps getting in the spirit of the season, too. It looks like it would be part of the opening of a Halloween special or a graphic in a tv spot for your local news station. Love these. And they're such a small bag, you can still share with friends...
Oh hey, Bumble...here for the party? Oh you brought a friend?
Well, it's getting awfully snug around here but thankfully there's enough for everyone!
Look at how happy everyone is! These FunPacks are a perfect party starter and a real crowd pleaser! But wait...one last piece!
A SEALED TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE VHS TAPE!
To be honest, this was the "big item" for me and I'm sure many others. If you don't watch at least 3 episodes of TFTDS during the season, you may as well start over because you've screwed up major. A surefire way to get in the Halloween mood any time of the year is with this show. Now, I'm a massive fan of Tales From The Crypt but it sometimes lacks that Halloween feel. This however has a constant fall mood attached to it. The practical f/x, the music, the scenery, the stories, everything.
And this tape contains 5 great episodes, including "The Odds", which is one of my favorites. Finding these tapes in the wild aren't easiest things in the world, but to get a fresh, sealed copy? Now that's a huge deal. Oh, and of course I'm opening it and watching from beginning to end. It'll especially come in handy anytime of the year that I need to satiate my thirst for something spooky and fun. Or just to see Danny Aiello and Tom Noonan gambling.
These Funpacks are a great pick me up and a real treat. For all the years that we've been offered these, they're still fresh and exciting, so if you're interested in grabbing yourself one of these, head over to
DinosaurDracula and keep an eye when Matt opens up purchasing or subscription options!
Warning: You'll wanna hop on these quickly, they do sell out and after seeing these great items, you can definitely see why!
-Chad
