Month: November 2019

Needless Things Podcast 293 – Joe Stryker

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-wr4jr-c95368
Ryan Cadaver and Kevin Slayfield – the creative forces behind the outrageous and action-packed new film, Joe Stryker – stop by the Phantom Zone to discuss the making of this unique independent movie.
From its inception to filming to a potential follow-up, Kevin and Ryan share absolutely everything about the creative process of getting their dream project out of their heads and onto Blu-rays to be distributed to fans across the world.
Listen in as we go behind the scenes of the explosive action of Joe Stryker on the newest episode of the Needless Things Podcast!
Follow Joe Stryker on Facebook!
Order your copy of Joe Stryker here!
Be sure to join the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation for this week’s episode! Let us know what you think!
“Procrastibate” by LeSexoflex.com
Interstitial music provided by The Mystery Men?
You can follow Dave as Phantom Troublemaker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest on pop culture!

Hungry for more movies, music, and pop culture? Visit the Needless Things Archives for a decade of dorkery!

Record Store Day Black Friday 2019

Who dares to venture forth on that mad, fateful date known as…

BLACK FRIDAY?!?!?!

Usually I do.

I like to take my son out to a few stores, grab lunch, and maybe go see a movie. It’s a good opportunity for us to get out and do something fun and as long as you avoid the big box stores, there’s a great energy in the American marketplace on that day. Like a lot of things, if you embrace it, it’s fun. If you want to hate it, you’ll be miserable.

Record stores a great on Black Friday. They never get too busy – not in Metro Atlanta, anyway – but they do have a little extra buzz thanks to the Record Store Day event that’s been a part of things for the past few years.

Technically I’ve been collecting records since the 70s. I was born in 1976 and the first record my parents bought for me was The Muppet Show soundtrack album. In the following years I would end up with all of the Muppet movie soundtracks, Michael Jackson albums, and plenty of notable 80s records like Men at Work’s Cargo.

I was lured by the versatility and magic of cassette tapes and CDs just like everyone else was, but as I limp towards geezerhood I find myself enjoying the simple pleasures of vinyl again. The joy of listening to an entire album, getting up to flip it to the second side or put the next LP on, and the reward of a carefully selected opening B-side track can’t be duplicated on CD or digital media.

So now I collect records, or as those accursed Millennials call them, vinyl.

Part of the fun of record collecting is finding limited editions and special releases, which is what Record Store Day is all about. While the actual date for RSD occurs in April, they also have a Black Firday event, because why not?

Every year I take a look at what’s coming out, make my list, and put together a little post so that you, too can be lured by the promise of holographic, 180 gram, translucent green and yellow records from your favorite artists!

What follows is my personal “Greatest Hits” list for this Friday. You can find the full list of Record Store Day releases here. Continue reading “Record Store Day Black Friday 2019” →

Toy Review – DC Artists Alley James Groman Batman from DC Collectibles

Today’s review is something a little different. It’s not a toy or an action figure; this Batman is more in line with the hyper-expensive, limited run vinyl pieces that artists release. These items are not typically mass-produced and are usually very limited runs.

The artist who designed today’s subject, James Groman, has released several incredible vinyl toys this way. More on him in a minute.

This figure has more in common with those collectibles than with most of DC Collectibles’ releases, but it is still a mass-produced item. The price point reflects that, and that’s important to remember. This fella retails for $65.00, while a comparably sized independent release would likely be twice that or more. And possibly unpainted.

As for James Groman, he’s a legend in the toy industry and a personal hero of mine.

From the sadly unfunded Don’t Cuddle the Krampus Kickstarter page:

In 1986 Jim was working with the American Greetings Entertainment and Toy Concept Division: ‘Those Characters from Cleveland’, where he had a hand in the development of brands like My Pet Monster, Madballs, Care Bears, Popples, Blurp Balls, Barnyard Commandoes, and Ring Raiders.

That’s an amazing pedigree, and since then James has been continuing his work in the toy industry, as well as releasing mind-blowing projects like his Kaiju Killer.

For more on Don’t Cuddle the Krampus, check out episode 82 of the Needless Things Podcast where I interviewed Bryan Katzel of Warpo Toys.

For me the bottom line on this Batman – and the accompanying figures of Joker, Two-Face, and Killer Croc – was that I wanted a Groman vinyl toy, but have never wanted to pay the price associated with them. I think the prices that creators like Groman and Tim Clarke charge for their limited edition works of art are more than fair, but as well all know I’m as basic as can be and would rather buy ten Marvel Legends than one huge vinyl toy.

Wow. When I put it like that I feel like a real piece of trash.

So what I’m saying is that this line gives cheapskates like me the opportunity to own works of art from one of the greatest minds in the history of the toy business.

Was it a worthy addition to my Batman shelf or should I have saved my pennies for a King Korpse? Read on and find out!

Continue reading “Toy Review – DC Artists Alley James Groman Batman from DC Collectibles” →

Needless Things Podcast 292 – TripleSlam Volume 1

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-jgwtd-c87c15

It’s all-out war on the Needless Things Podcast, brother! Diabolical Derek Obscura, Rockin’ Ryan Cadaver, and Dave “Phantom Troublemaker” West have teamed up to deliver the biggest, slammingest, most electrifying episode of all time!

Each commentator has chosen the wrestling match that made them a fan:
Dave – March 1, 1986 Saturday Night’s Main Event – Hulk Hogan vs. “Magnificent” Don Muraco
Ryan – June 28, 1998 King of the Ring – The Undertaker vs. Mankind Hell in a Cell
Derek – December 13, 1999 RAW is WAR – Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz Steel Cage Match
Pull up the matches on your favorite streaming service and watch along as Dave, Ryan, and Derek share thoughts, memories, and commentary on these three legendary matches on the newest episode of the Needless Things Podcast!
Be sure to join the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation for this week’s episode! Let us know what you think!
“Procrastibate” by LeSexoflex.com
“PBR” by Dale Jepson and the Night Hawks
You can follow Dave as Phantom Troublemaker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest on pop culture!

Hungry for more movies, music, and pop culture? Visit the Needless Things Archives for a decade of dorkery!

Toy Review – The Office Michael Scott & Dwight K. Schrute Action Figures from Phat Mojo

Thanks to the internet and collectors’ voracious appetite for any and all toy news it’s not often that I am taken by surprise in the wild by a completely new toy line. Not one that interests me, anyway.

Today’s subjects mark the second time that Phat Mojo – the toy company with the most 1998 name ever – has snuck something into the retail scene that I had no idea was coming. The first was an entire wave of Pennywise figures in this same style from IT: Chapter Two. I thought that was an odd decision, but whatever.

These figures are a whole other proposition, though.

The Office is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, and while I never thought of the characters as particularly toyetic, this is the sort of line that collectors and casual fans alike can enjoy. The figures are simple, recognizable, and priced right(ish).

Michael was at the front of the peg and I’m happy to have him, but Dwight was the one that sealed the deal. He’s the hero of the show and I probably wouldn’t have bothered with these if the third figure had been Toby or – ugh – Ryan Howard.

Ryan Howard is the absolute worst. What a jerkbag.

Pam was also available, but as adorable as Jenna Fischer is both as the character and, apparently, in real life, I cannot condone Pam’s relations with the villain Jim Halpert. So I picked up Michael and Dwight and brought them home for review.

Would the legendary NBC show have been better off with larger figures from the likes of McFarlane or NECA or does it turn out that four inches is enough (that’s what she said)? Read on and find out! Continue reading “Toy Review – The Office Michael Scott & Dwight K. Schrute Action Figures from Phat Mojo” →

Needless Things Podcast 291 – Bloodsport Needless Commentary

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-dnmeb-c7846e

Part of an ongoing series – the Needless Things Irregulars gather in the Phantom Zone to provide their own unique commentary on classic genre films!

Rad Ranger chose a real barn burner for this month’s Needless Commentary – 1988’s Bloodsport, starring the one and only Jean-Claude Van Damme!
Toughen your taint with the Needless Commentary Team on the newest episode of the Needless Things Podcast!
Be sure to join the Needless Things Podcast Facebook Group and get in on the conversation for this week’s episode! Let us know what you think!
“Procrastibate” by LeSexoflex.com
Interstitial music provided by The Mystery Men?
You can follow Dave as Phantom Troublemaker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest on pop culture!

Hungry for more movies, music, and pop culture? Visit the Needless Things Archives for a decade of dorkery!

I’m Not Getting Disney+…Yet

I did not jump on Disney+ the instant it became available. I feel wrong for this, but I don’t know that I’ll be getting it for foreseeable future. I’m not as excited about it as I probably should be, and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Taking a long hard look at the launch line up did explain a few of my misgivings to me though. The list is way too long for me to copy here so I’ll just throw up a link if you want to check it out. Strangely, the biggest thing to jump out at me was that I never knew the Brave Little Toaster went to Mars. Where the hell was I when this historic space mission went down?
102119_Disney-plus-content-announcements_00-700x464
At first I thought maybe I wasn’t the right demographic. I don’t have kids, and I don’t want to watch Cinderella. I felt like I might be too old for it because I’m not interested in Lizzie McGuire. Then again, maybe I’m too young since I don’t want to watch Darby O’Gill and the Little People either. I am also not a fan of any Pixar movie. I’m a monster, I know. They do certainly have things I like. Marvel, The Simpsons, and Star Wars are all things I include in my fandom. Here’s the thing though. For now FXX shows around 6 episodes of The Simpsons five nights a week. I’m not sure how that will change with Disney+ taking over the territory. So I can see The Simpsons pretty much anytime I want without paying anything extra. If I see that they’ll be taken off FXX then I’ve still got time to get some of my favorites onto my DVR. I own every Marvel movie I’d want to watch again, and if I do get a wild hair up my ass for something I don’t already own my father has every single one of them on his computer hard drive. I can get a copy of Iron Man 2 pretty easily if that desire ever comes up. It probably won’t, but it’s there if that were to happen. Would I like to watch some varying degrees of awesome X-Men cartoons again? You bet, but not so much that I’m getting yet another streaming service for them. As for the newer Marvel cartoons I’m not invested. I’ve watched a few on Disney XD, but none of them really grabbed me.
Continue reading “I’m Not Getting Disney+…Yet” →