Get set for the 38th edition of Five Random Action Figures, starring robot bugs and alien elephants and Ted “Theodore” Logan. We’re gonna have a time.

Storm w/ Power Glow Action
The Uncanny X-Men (1993)

If I have it right, this was the second of three distinct Storm figures to use this mold. The first came in 1991 and wore an all-black costume. The last, from 1995, wore a white costume to better resemble Storm’s appearance in X-Men: The Animated Series.

In the middle was this one, which happens to be my favorite. The switch to silver paid tribute to Storm’s then-current comic costume, and also made the figure look so much more…. godly. It was as if Raiden and Sindel put aside their differences to make a super-powered baby.

The ribbony cape is as awkward as it looks, but it does add a certain elegance. Had I owned this version of Storm back in the ‘90s, she would’ve ruled over my other action figures with a 90-to-10 ratio of pragmatism and vengeance. Read More…

Thanks to our successes at that one video store, me and Jay vowed to hit every other video store within driving distance. After all, these places aren’t going to be around forever. It’s a miracle they’re still around now.

First on the list was The Video Shop in Belmar, New Jersey. Online info was scant and vague, and we actually had no idea if the store was still even open.

Fortunately, it was, and ohhhh boy, it was GLORIOUS.

When we pulled up to The Video Shop, I called the trip a net win before even knowing if it was still operational. Just getting to see that awesome sign was worth the drive. It was obviously made in the ‘80s, what with the hastily added “DVD” mention on a line of text that refused to make room for it.

The cracks and discoloration just made me want to marry it that much more. Read More…

Throw Beverly Hills Cop, Cool as Ice and a big block of Velveeta into a blender, and out would come Stone Cold. The 1991 cult classic stars Brian “The Boz” Bosworth as a rebel cop who plays by his own rules and dresses like a surfer version of General Zod.

It’s terrible and great.

Course, as my pal Hoverbored recently pointed out, the biggest reason to watch Stone Cold has nothing to do with sex or violence or high-speed chases. No, the true draw is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of Batman Cereal!

You won’t have to wait long to see it, either.

In the opening scene, policeman Joe Huff (that’s Boz) just happens to go shopping during a robbery at his local supermarket. It’s exactly what you’d expect, with pratfalls involving Coke cans and all sorts of food-related pandemonium.

The scene was obviously shot in a legit supermarket, and judging by what was on display, filming must’ve taken place in 1990. Read More…