Five Random Action Figures, Part 22!
I didn’t want the Countdown to slip by without at least one Halloween-themed edition of Five Random Action Figures, so here you go!
My criteria was simple. “Would the figure look good on my Halloween Mood Table?” If the answer was “yes,” it was safe to include.
The Headless Horseman!
Sleepy Hollow, 1999
My pal Anthony donated this one, thereby guaranteeing himself lifetime access to one of my kidneys. I’m a huge fan of Sleepy Hollow, and — with the admission that I may be in the minority on this — consider it one of Tim Burton’s best movies.
The film was this weird-but-brilliant black comedy that never let itself in on the joke. It was cheesy and preposterous, but it never told you that it knew these things. (It’s also super atmospheric, and just perfect for this time of year. Like a futuristic Yankee Candle, Sleepy Hollow seems somehow scented with autumn.)
The movie would’ve meant so much less without Christopher Walken as the Headless Horseman, though. God, guys! It had to be one of his easiest paychecks ever, but he was SO good in this.
“Here’s the plan, Chris. Your only line with be ‘neeeaaarrrrhhh!’ We’ll dress you like a vampire version of Pinhead. And that’s literally it.”
McFarlane Toys got in on the “mature” market long before most other companies. This figure, which has a removable head and came packaged with severed heads, could never be construed as a “kid’s toy.” Read More…
Dino Drac’s October Funpack!
Wheeee, finally! My apologies for the small delay in giving you the scoop on this month’s Funpack, but I think you’ll agree that it was worth the wait!
Dino Drac’s October 2015 Funpack is available now! Subscriptions open to those in the United States only!
For those new to the site, I mail out Funpacks every month to anyone willing to pony up. The price is $25 a month, and that includes shipping. You can cancel anytime without penalty, but for as long as you remain a subscriber, you’ll get a new Funpack every month!
You can skip to the bottom of this post for additional information on subscriptions, as well as the link to get started. First, let’s take a look at what’s in this month’s box!
Oh yeah, it’s a box of complete Halloween madness, stuffed with over TEN creeeeepy items! Toys, collectibles, decorations… even snacks!
Let’s move in for a closer inspection, and remember, every subscriber will receive EVERYTHING shown below! Read More…
An ode to Pumpkin Spice Quaker Oatmeal.
After all my years of blogging,
I’ve learned a thing or two.
Like how stories about oatmeal…
Won’t mean much to you.
Before I even started writing,
The bloom was off the rose.
So whatever, fine, fuck it.
I’ll do it in rhymed prose. Read More…
1980s McDonald’s Halloween Pails!
After writing about the famed McDonald’s McNugget Buddies last month, I thought it’d be fitting to pay tribute to the only Halloween Happy Meal that was even better:
Yes, McDonald’s Halloween Pails. It’s not at all hyperbolic to name them as some of the best Happy Meal “prizes” ever, nor is it an exaggeration to say that — at least for those of a certain age — these pails absolute embody Halloween.
The first national release came in 1986, with the trio shown above. The promotion’s wild success guaranteed repeats, and sure enough, this is one of the few Happy Meal sets that McDonald’s repeated in subsequent years, dotted across the rest of the ‘80s and into the ‘90s.
Future sets included additional colors and “characters,” but I’ve always been fondest of the original all-orange versions. These were Halloween toys in the purest imaginable form. Today, they evoke more a sense of innocence than visions of ghouls and goblins. Read More…