Now here is something I didn’t expect to see. The Ghoulies brand has been nearly non-existent for a long time, but suddenly two of the film series’ most iconic creatures popped up over at Sideshow Collectibles. Name the Cat and Fish Ghoulies from the first sequel that was released in 1988.
I’m a fan of that film. It’s not exactly a gory horror film, but it is silly in a Gremlins sort of way. Yeah, during that time in the ’80s, everyone was trying to jump on the little creature bandwagon.
The Cat and Fish Ghoulies stand at 23″ tall, but Sideshow’s listing doesn’t specify what they’re made out of. It’s probably foam latex with no armature inside, but I’d like to know. They’re both available for pre-order and should ship between October and December of this year.
So, when do we get a Muchie replica?
The Ghoulies creatures, even in the sequel, were not the most articulate puppets. They were basic, but it was their exploits that made them entertaining. In Ghoulies II, the evil minions escape extermination only to end up at a carnival. The little demons cause a bunch of chaos and are only stopped when a larger Ghoulie is summoned to eat them.
Oh, and the film’s human antagonist gets his junk bitten off by the toilet dwelling fish ghoulie. Ah, what a great way to end a movie!
What are your thoughts on these 23″ tall replicas of the ’80s horror icons?
[Source: Sideshow]
Wanna Bring Home A Couple Of Gruesome Ghoulies?
Grimlock Not Bozo. Grimlock Massive Expensive Transformers Statue!
The self-proclaimed king of the Dinobots now has a statue that matches his ego. Sideshow Collectibles is currently taking pre-orders for a massive statue of Transformers’ Grimlock. The diorama features both the robot and dinosaur versions of the heroic Autobot.
This version of Grimlock is a mixture of his G1 appearance and how he appeared in the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron video game. There are some Gundam-inspired details sprinkled in here and there as well.
Sideshow and Premium Collectibles Studio present the Grimlock Diorama – Supreme Edition, stomping onto your shelf of Transformers collectibles. This deluxe Dinobot presentation offers fans an incredibly engaging scene with two configurations of the fearless Grimlock on the attack.
The Grimlock Diorama – Supreme Edition measures 30” tall and 24” wide in a unique display that captures the dual strength of Grimlock’s Dinobot and alternate Autobot form. In this prehistoric scene, the leader of the Dinobots swings his mighty tail in Tyrannosaurus form, opening his jaws wide in a mighty roar. Above him, the warrior Grimlock wields his energo-sword as he leaps into action, converted into a more classic Transformer state. A clear blue element embodies the evolution between designs, giving fans a dynamic look at the fearless fighter in action. Transparent flames frame the prehistoric scene as magma bubbles between charred rocks and Cybertronian ruins on the base.
Grimlock’s diorama measures at 30″x24″x22″. He’s a big boy. He also comes with a big price tag. At $1,855, he is on the pricier side of Transformers collectibles. Then again, the statue does give us Grimlock in his robot and t-rex form. So, that kind of makes that pill easier to swallow for us Transformers fans.
Sideshow offers a layaway program. For $208.69 a month over eight months, the king of the Dinobots can be yours. Pre-orders are available now, but Grimlock won’t ship until between September and November 2022.
What are your thoughts on these premium statues? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Sideshow]
Funimation Streams ‘Witchblade’ And Other Gonzo Anime For Free On YouTube
Funimation is streaming three fan-favorite anime to their YouTube channel for free through November 2021. Partnering with the Japanese anime studio Gonzo, they are bringing ‘Witchblade,’ ‘Burst Angel,’ and ‘Ragnarok: The Animation’ to streaming where viewers can enjoy them for a limited run.
“Gotta love the classics. In partnership with Gonzo, Funimation has announced that it’s bringing three classic anime series to its official YouTube channel, completely free, for a limited time,” Funimation writes on their website. “Starting September 2 through November 30, Funimation is adding Ragnarok: The Animation (in HD for the first time!), Burst Angel and Witchblade with English subtitles to its YouTube channel in the United States and Canada. So plan your schedules accordingly!”
They add, “If you’re a longtime anime fan, these series might be familiar, but whether you’re returning to a classic or checking out something for the first time, this batch of 70+ anime episodes is the perfect place to start.”
FUNIMATION TO STREAM TRIO OF ICONIC ANIME SERIES FROM GONZO ON YOUTUBE, INCLUDING “RAGNAROK – THE ANIMATION”
For a Limited Time and For Free, Anime Fans Will be Able to Stream All Episodes of “Ragnarok – The Animation,” “Witchblade” and “Burst Angel” Across Two YouTube Channels pic.twitter.com/V7nyPNvKzr— producer of GONZO (@producer_GONZO) September 2, 2021
They give a quick “run-down” of each anime.
‘Witchblade’ is a 2006 series that follows “Masane Amaha, a kindhearted, well-intentioned woman who is clumsy and awkward around the house. Having lost her memory during the Great Quake which ravaged Tokyo, Masane was found uninjured at the quake’s ground zero with a baby in her arms. Six years later she returns to Tokyo with the child (whom she believes is her daughter), intending to live a peaceful life. Masane becomes entangled in a power struggle between a large corporation and a government agency, and discovers that a mysterious bracelet on her right wrist is the legendary Witchblade.” It is based on a Top Cow comic.
“‘Burst Angel’ follows Jo, Sei, Amy and Meg as they fight against corruption and twisted science to bring hope back to their bleak world. The citizens of their desperate city needed a hero and got four angels instead. Can these girls on fire take on the biggest fight of their lives? You’ll have to watch all 24 episodes to find out.”
“‘Ragnarok: The Animation’ is based on a ’00s MMORPG of the same name. The fantasy anime is all about good versus evil, and follows our hero Yufa, as he travels the land with his companions, taking on monsters, magic and a date with destiny. All 26 episodes of the series will be available to watch on YouTube for the first time in HD!”
Nightwing Actor Brenton Thwaites Discusses ‘Titans’ Season 3
The HBO Max original series ‘Titans’ is entering its third season which sees Batman abandon Gotham City after “breaking his only rule.” With Red Hood allying with Scarecrow, Nightwing calls on the Titans to protect the city with the help of Barbara Gordon.
Brenton Thwaites, who stars as Dick Grayson in the DC Comics show, recently sat down with Collider to discuss what audiences can expect from season three.
“Seasons 1 and 2 were really about Dick Grayson finding out who he is and searching for that identity, and maybe slowly coming to terms with his leadership skills and his confidence,” he explained. “And in Season 3, Episode 1, we see him returns to Gotham and rally up the Titans and basically say, “‘Hey guys, this is a pretty dangerous place even for us. So we need to focus if we want to succeed here.'”
When asked what he thinks it is like for Nightwing to return to Gotham City, he said, ” I think that he’s just going to come to terms with his failures, and confront his fears.”
“And I think one of them is returning home and failing again, the fear of failure, the fear of turning into Batman and kind of becoming a superhero that has no morals. And that has limited compassion and empathy.” He continued, “Dick is not Bruce Wayne. He has a different set of rules for fighting crime. There’s a little bit more morality in terms of loyalty and rules of engagement, so he’s returning home with a lot of pain that he has to confront and face. And part of that pain is Barbara Gordon. He left her when he decided to leave Gotham, and he hasn’t seen her since she’s been in a wheelchair. So they slowly develop a professional relationship and through that, they start to learn to trust each other and slowly start to build their personal relationship.”
He added later, “There is a point halfway through the season, or maybe three-quarter way through the season, where Dick and Barbara specifically have to stop thinking like their parents. We’ve got to stop fighting crime and thinking like Bruce and Commissioner Gordon. And so we have a little epiphany between us and we realize that we’re different. We think in different ways and we have different rules and they’re not disadvantages. There are unique advantages to fighting crime and in this specific story, they are required to succeed.”
‘Titans’ started as an exclusive of DC Universe before moving to HBO Max. The show features Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Kory Anders (Mame-Anna Diop), Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft), Gar Logan (Ryan Potter), Jason Todd (Curran Walters), Donna Troy (Conor Leslie), Hank Hall (Alan Ritchson), Dawn Granger (Minka Kelly), Rose Wilson (Chelsea Zhang), and Conner (Joshua Orpin).
Cartoon Network Adding “Acme Night” Kids Programming Block
Warner Media is adding a new programming block to Sundays on Cartoon Network titled “Acme Nights,” one that is geared towards children and families.
The block promises to have original shows to feature fan-favorite characters like Batman, the Looney Tunes, Gremlins, as well as airing movies and films that parents can watch with their kids.
Warner Media said in a press release, “WarnerMedia Kids & Family announced today the launch of ACME Night, an ultimate entertainment destination for families every Sunday starting Sept. 19 at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. The newest programming block, named after the fictional corporation made famous by the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons, kicks off with the premiere of the Warner Bros. hit DC superhero feature film, Shazam.”
They explain, “ACME Night will start off every week with family-friendly blockbusters that include Man of Steel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sherlock Gnomes, Detective Pikachu, Scoob! and more. As part of the WarnerMedia Kids & Family content commitment to appeal to everyone in the household, ACME Night will be reserved for families to sit down together every Sunday beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT for a lineup of library favorites and upcoming new originals. ACME Night programming will also be available on HBO Max starting next year.”
Warner Exec. Tom Ascheim said, “In the world of ACME anything, and I do mean anything, is possible.” He added, “We know families want to spend time together, so we’ve created a destination for multigenerational stories that pull families together through the power of imagination.”
Announced shows include ‘Merry Little Batman,’ ‘Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story,’ and an untitled project featuring the lovable characters from Looney Tunes and the Merrie Melodies.
Previously announced projects ‘Aquaman: King of Atlantis,’ ‘Batman: Caped Crusader,’ ‘Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,’ and ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ will be added to the slate of shows.
Netflix Release Debut Teaser For Danish Thriller ‘The Chestnut Man’
Netflix has acquired the distribution rights to the Danish thriller ‘The Chestnut Man’ from directors Mikkel Serup and Kasper Barfoed. It is based on the novel of the same name by Søren Sveistrup, creator of another thriller ‘The Killing.’
The premise explains, “In a quiet suburb of Copenhagen, the police make a terrible discovery one blustery October morning. A young woman is found brutally murdered in a playground and one of her hands is missing. Next to her lies a small man made of chestnuts. The ambitious young detective Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) is assigned to the case, along with her new partner, Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). They soon discover a mysterious piece of evidence on the chestnut man – evidence connecting it to a girl who went missing a year earlier and was presumed dead – the daughter of politician (DK: Socialminister) Rosa Hartung (Iben Dorner).”
Netflix recently released a debut teaser to showcase the thriller. You can check it out:
According to the Netflix press release, “The Chestnut Man is based on the debut novel by award-winning writer Søren Sveistrup which has been translated into 33 languages and published in 50 countries. The cast includes Danica Curcic, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Iben Dorner, Lars Ranthe, David Dencik, Esben Dalgaard, Morten Brovn, Jens Jørgen Spottag, Camilla Lau, Peder Thomas Pedersen, Marie-Lydie Melono Nokouda and Anders Hove among others.”
SAM Productions is handling the filmmaking with Søren Sveistrup, Dorte W. Høgh, and David Sandreuter handling the writing. It is produced by Morten Kjems Hytten Juhl and Stine Meldgaard with Søren Sveistrup, Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen and Mikkel Serup serving as executive producers.
The novel version of ‘The Chestnut Man’ won Sveistrup became won the crime literary prize Barry Award for Best First Mystery/Crime Novel as well as the best book of the year from the New York Times Book Review, Kirkus, and Library Journal.
Patrick Imbert’s Animated Film ‘The Summit of the Gods’ Is Getting A Netflix Release
Patrick Imbert’s animated adaption of Japanese author Baku Yumemakura’s 1998 novel and mangaka Jiro Taniguchi’s early 2000s historical manga ‘The Summit of the Gods.’ The film has been acquired by Netflix for a limited theatrical run before being added to the streaming service’s catalogue.
According to the official synopsis, the plot asks, “Were George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine the first men to scale Everest on June 8th, 1924? Only the little Kodak camera they took with them might reveal the truth. In Kathmandu, 70 years later, a young Japanese reporter named Fukamachi recognizes the camera in the hands of the mysterious Habu Jôji, an outcast climber believed missing for years. Fukamachi enters a world of obsessive mountaineers hungry for impossible conquests on a journey that leads him, step by step, towards the summit of the gods.”
The movie is produced by Jean-Charles Ostorero, Didier Brunner (The Triplets of Belleville, Ernest & Celestine), Damien Brunner, and Stéphan Roelants. It is written by Magali Pouzol, Patrick Imbert, and Jean-Charles Ostorero.
The movie labored in production since 2015 before finally making its premier at Cannes where it was part of the festival’s 2021 Official Selection. It is set to be released in the “U.S. theaters on November 24, in the UK on November 26, and on Netflix on November 30.”
Netflix announced the acquisition through a press release, adding to a growing list of animated features including ‘Vivo,’ ‘Wish Dragon,’ and ‘Arlo the Alligator Boy.’
The novel won the prestigious literary prize Shibata Renzaburo Award in 1998 before it was adapted into a manga that ran for five volumes between 2000-2003. It was published by Shueisha, who placed it in their Business Jump magazine and it was later picked up by Fanfare/Ponent Mo for the UK and North American release.
‘The Summit of the Gods’ was first adapted into the live-action film ‘Everest: Kamigami no Itadaki,’ directed by Hideyuki Hirayama. It starred Junichi Okada, Hiroshi Abe, and Machiko Ono.
Poison Ivy Set To Appear In The CW’s ‘Batwoman’
Poison Ivy, One of the Batman’s most recurring villains is set to appear in the CW’s ‘Batwoman.’ Making her Arrowverse debut with Bridget Regan (‘Devil’s Gate’) being set to play the role will take on the latest incarnation of Batwoman, played by Javicia Leslie, and her allies.
BREAKING NEWS: @BridgetRegan CAST AS #POISONIVY ON #Batwoman! RT IF EXCITED! @JaviciaLeslie @BatwomanWriters pic.twitter.com/hVFrn9q59n
— Batwoman Podcast (@BatwomanPodcast) August 30, 2021
“Ryan Wilder is graduating to the big league,” DC Comics wrote on their website. “While The CW’s new Batwoman held her own last season against the likes of Black Mask and Safiyah, she’s about to go toe-to-toe with one of the Dark Knight’s biggest, most lethally effective adversaries—Poison Ivy. It was revealed today that actress Bridget Regan has been cast in the role of Pamela Isley on Batwoman in a take on the character that promises to bring her back to her villainous…er, roots.”
“This is going to be fun,” Regan wrote on social media.
DC Comics continued, “It’s unclear at this time whether Ivy will be next season’s “big bad,” a supporting villain like season two’s Hush, or something in between. However, bringing a popular, well-known Gotham rogue to The CW series will both increase the show’s profile among more casual Batman fans and offer Javia Leslie’s Ryan her most formidable challenge yet. (Fortunately, she’ll have a bit more help than last season now that Luke Fox has officially graduated to Batwing.)”
They added, “While her Batwoman role will mark her first stint as a DC character, it won’t be her first foray into the realm of superheroes and villains—she played Dottie Underwood in two memorable seasons of ABC’s Agent Carter.”
‘Batwoman’ is not known for following a character’s “roots,” considering Kate Kane has vanished from the titular character and has been replaced with an original character. Similarly, Hush was given a completely new origin and personality in season two where he was played by Gabriel Mann.
NECA Is Making An Official Usagi Yojimbo Action Figure!
Stan Sakai’s samurai rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo, is finally returning in toy form. So far, we’ve only got an image of the prototype of the figure. A release window or possible accessories are all a mystery at this point.
What we do have is a detailed photo of the digital prototype, and Usagi Yojimbo is looking good. His entire outfit, robes, and all will be molded parts. This may limit articulation, but only time will tell. The height of the character is also unknown. Usagi is sometimes as tall as the Ninja Turtles, depending on the crossover, and sometimes he is shorter.
Usagi Yojimbo will be joining NECA’s existing and extensive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line of toys. This series includes characters from the ’90s films, ’80s cartoons, and comic books. The ronin rabbit had teamed up with the Turtles on TV and in the comics throughout the years.
Set in Edo-era Japan, Sakai’s continuing story of the rabbit rōnin (masterless samurai) has drawn praise for its faithful reflection of many aspects of traditional Japanese culture. Since its beginning in 1984, Sakai has won numerous awards for the series, including the National Cartoonists Society Award, the Parents’ Choice Award, the Harvey Award for Best Cartoonist and over ten Eisner Awards in addition to being inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 2020.
What other crossover characters from the TMNT’s past should get a NECA figure? So far, NECA has only scratched the surface about the weird characters that have appeared in Turtles comics, cartoons, and toylines. Please give us a Playmates accurate Ace Duck already, NECA!
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
For more information on Usagi Yojimbo, check out the character’s official website. Stan Sakai’s website also has a lot of Usagi merchandise, including comic books and original art.
[Source: NECA]
MCU Stars Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans Reunited For Apple TV’s ‘Ghosted’
Two Avengers are reuniting in a post-Infinity Saga era, at least for a different kind of movie. ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ actor Chris Evans and ‘Black Widow’ actress Scarlett Johansson, who starred together in multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films together, are reuniting for ‘Ghosted,’ an “action romance.”
The Hollywood Reporter explains that “Dexter Fletcher, the helmer behind ‘Rocketman,’ is set to direct the project, which will be written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the scribes behind ‘Deadpool’ and ‘Zombieland.'” They add, “Evans will produce the project along with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger of Skydance, the company that made The Tomorrow War for Amazon. Reese and Wernick will also produce.”
Little is known about the plot other than it is in the vein of ‘Romancing The Stone,’ which starred Michael Douglas.
Evans and Johansson previously united in November 2019 where they discussed their careers with Variety. Upon hearing that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ had, at that time, become the biggest movie of all time, Johansson shared her thoughts.
“It’s funny, because I remember back in “Iron Man 2” days, I think you had just finished filming the first “Cap.” It was so interesting that you and I were coming together again. We had no idea what we were making,” she said. “It was just impossible to know what a phenomenon the Marvel Cinematic Universe or “The Avengers” would be. You jump at the chance, but having been through it myself with a partner that I was with, who also had another big iconic superhero thing he was working on, it’s the pressure. You don’t know how it’s going to go, right? It seems ridiculous now, but it could be career-ending.”
Evans agreed, “Yeah. I feel unbelievably lucky to have been a part of something like that. It will be one of my treasured memories of life. Even when we went on to do “Avengers,” the first one, I think everybody was feeling very uneasy about the concept. It was just so absurd. It was a big endeavor. If this doesn’t work, the pipe dream that we’ve been hearing about could derail very quickly.”
Apple TV has been nabbing up content for release on their streaming service. They picked up ‘Defending Jacob,’ which also starred Chris Evans, as well as the historical drama ‘Emancipation’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ a thriller from director Martin Scorsese.
