Sci-Fi Action Figures

Posted on March 6, 2014 by platinumal

Science fiction action figures are the basis for any good toy collection. My collection of Star Wars toys goes right back to the late 1970’s, and I’ll get round to posting some pictures of those in the future. Oh yes, it shall happen. Any requests, let me know.

In the meantime, I thought I’d showcase some alternative items that have been lurking around for over thirty years. These figures aren’t always mint condition, and rarely have all the accessories they came boxed with. And there are certainly no boxes (or cards) now, as they were all actually played with…

Battlestar Galatica figures

These 3 3/4″ action figures were produced by Mattel in the late 1970’s, to coincide with the release of the television show. They were obviously aiming to emulate the phenomenal success of Kenner’s Star Wars figures.

Battlestar Galactica figures

On the left of the photo is the Imperious Leader figure, all in good condition – but then other than the cloak, he didn’t have any accessories. In the middle is Commander Adama, who bears a slight resemblance to Lorne Greene. Unfortunately Adama’s cloak and gun are long gone. The Cylon Centurion is the coolest figure here, though mine has lost a lot of his silver finish. The laser gun is around however, though I didn’t use it for the picture. The Cylon was my first Battlestar Galactica toy, a present from my Dad.

There were some other cool figures produced in this line, in particular the Ovion and Daggit were great. Unfortunately I never owned either. I would’ve also loved a Lt. Starbuck, but I never saw one. Ever.

Great show, Battlestar Galactica – I love the original and the rebooted, recent version.

The Black Hole figures

Disney’s The Black Hole, however, was not that great a movie. At least not when I saw it on TV as a kid. Maybe I should try it again, to see if I was just too young to dig it.

The Black Hole figures

The action figures for this film, again 3 3/4″ like Star Wars figures – were multi jointed. As a result, the human figures were rather frail. I had a few of them, now reduced to limbless torsos.

No matter – the stars of the show were the robots, and here we have two of the best. The Sentry Robot (left) was particularly cool, with a holster to hold his pistol. I have the gun safe, so this one’s probably worth a load on ebay. Note the joints which are clearly visible.

Also, we have V.I.N.CENT – a cool design for a robot. Laser guns and big, cute eyes.

Blake’s 7 Liberator

Blake’s 7

Not an action figure – this is a Corgi toy of the Liberator spaceship from BBC sci-fi serial, Blake’s 7. You can see the Corgi stamp on the photo. Quite a cool design for a TV spaceship. I quite liked Blake’s 7 when I was a kid, and remember being surprised at the end…

I have lots of fond memories of finding and playing with these toys when I was young. They’re great souvenirs of old films, and fun times – and imagination.

Memorabilia NEC – Film Character Photos

Posted on January 8, 2014 by platinumal

One more set of photos from my last visit to Memorabilia at Birmingham NEC. I apologise – what with Christmas and all, I haven’t had chance to post these previously.

Earlier posts have showcased photos of Memorabilia punters dressed up as characters from comic books and television. This set of shots features film based characters. There are many more brave people dressed up at Memorabilia, far more than I’ve captured in this series of photos. Good luck to them, I say.

I thought this was Underworld. Apparently it’s Aeon Flux?

Maleficent

Stormtrooper.

Pete and Hook getting on famously these days.

Transformers sucked. Great car though.

R2 close up.

Evil Queen.

Mrs Platinum Al meets the Terminator.

By the way – there are plenty more Star Wars photos from previous trips to Memorabilia. Stay tuned!

Thanks to everyone at Birmingham NEC Memorabilia who posed for photos – all were very happy to do so.

Questions #8: Christmas Films

Posted on December 21, 2013 by platinumal

What could be better than being snuggled up at home in front of the fire, beverage in hand, watching crap on TV? It’s part of what Christmas is all about. The television specials, the films, we’re subjected to both the classic and the drastic each year.

So I wanted to know what everyone’s favourite Christmas movie is. The rules:

Your film of choice must have been on television (terrestrial or satellite)
It has to be Christmas set or themed. You can’t pick, for example, Zulu, just because it’s on every year or because you like to watch it every Christmas. Die Hard, on the other hand, would qualify, as it’s set at Christmas.

Q: What’s your favourite Christmas film?

Jess: Elf

Ash: Elf

Lynne: Elf

Tom: Home Alone

Matt: Home Alone

Mike R: Home Alone

Jayne: Elf

Mike W: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Alix: Home Alone 2

Stu: Arthur Christmas

Jade: Elf

Michelle: Home Alone

Jamie: Jingle All the Way

Terry: Home Alone

Sam: Lethal Weapon

David R: Jingle All the Way

Sue R: Miracle on 34th Street

Nathan: Miracle on 34th Street

Ben G: Muppets Christmas Carol

Sarah: Elf

Jack: Home Alone 2

Me: It’s a Wonderful Life

There you have it:Elf just wins (because I counted Home Alone 2 as a separate film, not additional votes for the first film).

I think Elf is a worthy winner, it just seems more “Christmassy” than Home Alone. It’s got Elves and Santa in it, after all.

If you’d like to let me know your favourite Christmas film, leave a comment. Disagree with the choices or rules above? Likewise.

Captain Blood (1935)

Posted on December 11, 2013 by platinumal

After a long while, I finally added this film to my DVD collection. Originally released in 1935, Captain Blood is black and white, no CGI – switch off now if this isn’t your thing. But you’ll be missing something special if you do.

This is the story of a doctor, Peter Blood, who through misfortune and circumstance finds himself a slave in the West Indies. From here he escapes with his trusty comrades and commandeers a Spanish ship, his only option now a life of piracy. We follow Captain Blood and his crew’s adventures on the seas.

Warner Brothers took a gamble in casting the unknown Errol Flynn in the lead role. The risk paid off – Flynn lights up the screen from the start. A star is not so much born as presented fully formed for the audience to adore. Olivia de Havilland, as Arabella Bishop, also found herself become an established name. There is real on screen chemistry between the two (they’d go on to star in many other films together); both Flynn and de Havilland captivating throughout.

Director Michael Curtiz employs everything he has to create a spectacle on screen, though surprisingly most of the scenes were shot on sound stages. Flynn’s sword fight with Basil Rathbone is energetic and deadly. The final swing-across-the-cavern ship to ship battle is still exciting even now.

Curtiz takes his time telling the back story before we get to the piracy on the high seas. On first viewing you may wonder when the film will actually get to the pirate part, yet the tale is told well with engaging characters and action.

Captain Blood is golden era Hollywood. It has escapism, adventure and above all, fun. Even without a single “Garrrrgh!”, it’s still full of pirate-y goodness.

8/10

Hammer Glamour

Posted on October 26, 2013 by platinumal

Through out its illustrious career, the Hammer film studio became synonymous with two things: horror and sex. The studio’s reputation encompassed both the lurid Technicolor gore; and the heaving cleavages of its female stars.

To say that’s all Hammer movies were does them a great disservice, yet the two key elements of horror and glamour have become the trademarks for which the company was known. Alongside the great Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, numerous beauties also graced these fine films.

There’s a great book, “Hammer Glamour” by Marcus Hearn (Titan Books, 2009). If this topic is of interest to you, I recommend you pick it up. I’ve been lucky to meet some of the female stars of classic Hammer movies at fan events, and they’ve been kind enough to autograph my copy of the book for me.

It’s no easy task, but here are my favourite ten Hammer actresses. It’s been a pain-staking process analysing the contribution of each of these ladies, but my selection is below.

10. Martine Beswicke

Appearing in three Hammer movies (One Million Years BC, Prehistoric Women and Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde), Martine Beswicke’s career with Hammer covered both gothic horror and dinosaur movies. Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde is her greatest contribution, where in a novel twist on the traditional tale, she plays the evil “sister” transformed from Dr Jekyll (Ralph Bates). She also appeared in two Bond movies – From Russia with Love and Thunderball. I’ve met Martine and she happily signed my copy of “Hammer Glamour”.

9. Barbara Shelley

The lovely Barbara Shelley appeared in more Hammer movies than anyone else on this list. Her films include The Gorgon, Rasputin the Mad Monk and Quatermass & the Pit. Barbara’s best role, however, was in Dracula Prince of Darkness, where she is transformed from Victorian lady to vampiric creature of the night. She also appeared in the great Village of the Damned. Again, Ms Shelley has signed the book, I’m very happy to say – she was extremely nice, for a vampire.

8. Stephanie Beacham

I remember Stephanie Beacham from numerous television appearances growing up, notably Dynasty. She appears in Dracula AD 1972 as Jessica Van Helsing, granddaughter of Peter Cushing’s Professor. A great camp classic, this is one of my favourites, and Stephanie looks ravishing. I’ve yet to meet Stephanie to ask her to sign the book, I’ve got my fingers crossed.

7. Veronica Carlson

Starring in three Hammer horror films, Veronica holds the distinction of having starred alongside two different Baron Frankensteins: Peter Cushing (in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed) and Ralph Bates (The Horror of Frankenstein). She also appeared in Dracula Has Risen From the Grave – all great films. Ms Carlson was lovely when I met her not too long ago.

6. Valerie Leon

Although she appeared in just one Hammer film, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Valerie Leon makes a fantastic impression in it. A great film and a beautiful actress. She also appeared in Carry On and Bond movies, making her a true 70’s film sensation. You can read more here. Very charming and another welcome signature for the book.

5. Ingrid Pitt

No-one encapsulates Hammer Glamour more than Ingrid Pitt. She seems synonymous with horror movies. Classic films she starred in include the brilliant The Vampire Lovers and Countess Dracula, alluring as the evil Countess. She also starred in genre classics for other studios, such as The House That Dripped Blood and The Wicker Man. Sadly, Ingrid passed away in 2010. A true legend.

4. Kate O’Mara

Gorgeous Kate O’Mara appeared in The Vampire Lovers and Horror of Frankenstein. Prim in the former and sexy in the latter, Kate’s contribution to Hammer is excellent. Her exotic looks have been a regular on-screen ever since, I remember her well in Dynasty. I’ve not met Kate, but would love her to sign my Hammer Glamour book.

3. Madeline Smith

Appearing very briefly in Taste the Blood of Dracula, Madeline Smith looks absolutely dazzling in The Vampire Lovers and Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell. She also appeared briefly in Theatre of Blood and was a Bond girl in Live and Let Die, as well as numerous other film and TV credits. Ms Smith has signed the book and was very nice too.

2. Raquel Welch

Possibly the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet, Raquel Welch became a screen icon when she appeared in One Million Years BC. Unfortunately, she never appeared in any more Hammer movies (hence she only reaches number two in this list). Raquel has made many other great films in a pretty fabulous career, since her debut in that “silly dinosaur movie” (her words, not mine!).

1. Caroline Munro

The stunning Caroline Munro appeared in two of my favourite Hammer films, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter and Dracula AD 1972. She’s also appeared in many other cult classics – try At the Earth’s Core and Starcrash, for starters. Ms Munro is probably most famous for her role as Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me. With her beautiful, long brunette hair, I’ve been smitten with Caroline for a long time. She’s also a very lovely person with plenty of time for her fans, as I found out when I met her. Caroline Munro is a Queen of classic cult cinema, and top of the Hammer Glamour list!

Meeting Caroline Munro at NEC Memorabilia

A special mention should be made to some of the lovely ladies who didn’t make the top ten, including Joanna Lumley (Satanic Rites of Dracula); Catherina Von Schell (Moon Zero Two); Julie Ege (The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires) and Ursula Andress (She). There are many more, of course.

If you’d like to buy a copy of “Hammer Glamour”, you can find it here.

www.hammerfilms.com

Hallowe’en Horror Fest Has Risen From the Grave

Posted on October 25, 2013 by platinumal

Gather round, courageous ones. It’s time for more horror movie reviews at the Virtual Hot Tub!

Dead Snow (2009)

Great film. A group of Norwegian students decide to take a break in a remote cabin up in the mountains. Surrounded by snow, their initial fun and games turn nasty when a group of Nazi zombies awaken and begin to terrorise them. Mayhem, blood and gore is the result.

I love this film. Dead Snow is obviously inspired (and is a homage to) numerous other similar movies. There are jumpy parts, gruesome parts – it ticks all the boxes. Some of the humour is a little too much sometimes, but there’s enough great content to excuse any ideas that were a little too silly.

Besides, what’s not to like? Nazi zombies? Is that not the ultimate bunch of evil bad guys ever? A very cool movie, it still worked on a second viewing and highly recommended. Norway also looks beautiful, I’d love to go there.

9/10

Night Watch (2004)

Many years ago, a truce was called between the warring factions of good and evil. Now the forces of good police the day, while the forces of darkness hold control over the night. In this world we meet the Night Watch, who are entrusted with keeping the vampires of the forces of darkness in line.

This Russian movie promised a lot, and indeed it looks spectacular. There are several scenes that definitely impress. However it’s more spectacle than substance, and I was left disengaged by the last half hour. There’s undoubtedly vast imagination at work here, so perhaps repeated viewings or more familiarity with the source material would aid my appreciation.

On the whole, it’s more dark fantasy than horror. I was hoping for more.

6/10

Taste the Blood of Hallowe’en Horror Fest

Posted on October 11, 2013 by platinumal

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

Time for more Hammer for Hallowe’en Horror Fest. This film sees Christopher Lee star as Dracula in an unusual twist on typical vampire sequels.

Three well-to-do Victorian gentlemen leave their family homes once a month to carry out some charity work in the less desirable parts of town. Although it turns out that they’re actually a group of depraved hedonists, hell bent on enjoying whatever illicit thrills they can. Enter Lord Courtley (Ralph Bates), a society satanist, who encourages the revellers to partake in a gruesome evil ritual. A ritual that involves relics of the vanquished Count – including his powdered blood. The three refuse to drink the blood mixture, and resort to killing Courtley. Once dead, he is regenerated as Dracula, who vows to destroy those who killed his loyal servant.

Taste the Blood of Dracula offers a novel spin on the rejuvenation of Count Dracula. We also see a different plot in that Dracula engineers a revenge against his servant’s enemies and their families. It’s a good idea and executed well in the typical Gothic Hammer fashion. This variation on the normal themes creates a sequel that’s well worth checking out.

7/10

Hallowe’en Horror Fest

Posted on October 1, 2013 by platinumal

It’s October! Which means it’s not long till Hallowe’en. Which also means that I’ve started my annual Hallowe’en Horror Fest – watching scary movies and listening to horror rock!

The festival of Hallowe’en is a big deal at the Virtual Hot Tub. Not only will I be decorating the place and having a fancy dress party for all my fiends, I’ll update you on other cultural happenings throughout the month. Starting now.

A big part of Hallowe’en Horror Fest is the films. Horror movies old and new, whether they’re real shit-your-shoes off jumpy, or just have some supernatural element to them. My aim is to watch as many as possible before we get to November. Here’s the scoop on the first two.

The Raven (2012)

A serial killer is committing terrible murders inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Poe (John Cusack) must turn detective to put an end to the grisly crimes before his betrothed becomes the next victim.

I was intrigued to see this film as I’ve read many of Poe’s stories over the years, and enjoyed them immensely. Whether you enjoy the movie will depend on if you can accept the fictionalised account including the real Edgar Allan Poe as a protagonist. For me, this twist was a great idea and worth exploring.

Not truly “Horrific”, but nonetheless creating a suitably dark, brooding atmosphere with a fair dose of gore, I enjoyed the film very much. Very good, though shock factor is not too high.

7/10

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

A hybrid of Tarantino gangster movie and splatter crazy vampire fest, I wasn’t a big fan of this film the first time I saw it. The juxtaposition of the two styles jarred. However the exploding, gloopy vampires – acting more like zombies in their mass attack on the humans – grated on me even more. They didn’t resemble enough the vampires of folklore I was familiar with. I actually enjoyed the gritty realism of the first part of the film rather than the horror element.

Repeated viewings have proved me wrong. The more I see this film, the more I admire the ingenuity, creativity and enthusiasm thrown onto the screen like an exploding blood pack by Director Robert Rodriguez. Great performances from everyone, including George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel and Tarantino himself. Watching it again now, the disparate elements really serve to create a sense of bewilderment when the vampires show themselves.

Highly recommended, if you’ve not seen this film, get on it now. And not forgetting Salma Hayek makes one of the sexiest vampires ever as Santanico Pandemonium.