Chris
DePetrillo from Figures Toy Company returns to the Needless Things
Podcast!
Friday, July 31, 2015
Needless Things Podcast 66 – Figures Toy Company Returns!
Labels:
action figures,
Batman ‘66,
Chris DePetrillo,
dc comics,
Figures Toy Company,
Needless Things,
Needless Things Podcast,
retro toys,
Ring of Honor,
Superfriends,
toys,
World’s Greatest Superheroes,
wrestling

Thursday, July 30, 2015
CD Review – Doctor Who Unbound: Sympathy for the Devil
The year is 1997, and a stranger arrives in Hong Kong,
decades later than he thought he would be returning to Earth. It’s the eve of
the Handover, the return of Hong Kong to China, and the Doctor finds a world
that’s had to survive without him for the last few decades, and it’s a world
that is not the better for it.
An advanced Chinese stealth bomber, capable of flying
while completely invisible, crashes into the Hong Kong countryside, sending the
Doctor in pursuit of a mystery. Along the way he finds an old friend who is
desperate to forget the horrors of his own past, a disgraced version of
U.N.I.T. led by a less than ethical commander, and an old enemy as trapped on
Earth as the Doctor now is.
And in the midst of it all, an ancient evil is awakening…
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Devlin's Domain - Intruder
There's plenty of 80's blood and guts on this week's edition of Devlin's Domain. I'm bringing it back to some old school, classic, slasher movies this time.
Comic Book Wednesday – Previews August 2015: Man-Bat’s Ugly Thighs
If
you don’t know, Previews
is the catalogue that Diamond Comic Distributors use to offer the
products they distribute to comic book stores around the country.
This is where you can view and order (through your favorite Local
Comic Book Shop) comic books, trade paperback collections, t-shirts,
books, media, and toys and other collectibles from hundreds of
different vendors that deal in geek-oriented merchandise. The genius
part is that you actually have to pay for your copy of Previews
for the privilege of ordering other things to pay for. It’s like
the Ren Fest except without the horse poo smell.
So
every month a new edition of Previews
is sent out to comic book stores. Contained in the pages within are
products that might be currently available or could be released
anytime in the next year; but typically about two months away.
Grab your copy of Previews and let's look at a few of the
weird and/or wonderful items offered in this month’s edition.
Labels:
collectibles,
comic books,
DC Collectibles,
dc comics,
idw,
image comics,
Marvel Comics,
Previews,
toys

Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Dragon Con 2015: The Progress Report
I
am finally
starting to get excited about Dragon Con.
It’s not Dragon Con’s
fault that it’s taken so long for those fires to start burning –
it’s mine. While Needless Things has been going strong and the
Needless Things Podcast has become weekly and has turned into
something I’m very proud of; in a weird way I sort of took 2015
off.
Labels:
Atlanta,
Atlanta events,
conventions,
Dragon Con,
Dragon Con 2015,
Dragon Con news

Monday, July 27, 2015
Toy Review – Masters of the Universe Classics Peekablue from Mattel
Good lord, that's a lousy picture. Sorry, guys. |
You
guys can probably guess that I wasn’t all that into a blue peacock
lady.
Labels:
action figures,
girl toys,
Masters of the Universe,
masters of the universe classics,
Peekablue,
Princess of Power,
toy reviews

Friday, July 24, 2015
Needless Things Podcast 65 – 2015 San Diego Comic Con Part 2 – The Movies
For
the first time, Needless Things is going beyond our normal toy talk
in our annual look at San Diego Comic Con! This year was so big it
required two episodes – one for the toys and one for the various
media happenings. Today’s Part 2 focuses on the big movie trailers
and reveals that happened this year!
Labels:
“Howdy” Mike Gordon,
Chad J. Shonk,
Dawn of Justice,
Deadpool,
movies,
Needless Things Podcast,
Nicole Gould,
Ryan Cadaver,
San Diego Comic Con,
SDCC,
SDCC 2015,
star wars,
The Evil Dead,
The Force Awakens

Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Devlin's Domain - Life And Death Of A Porno Gang
Welcome back to another installment of Devlin's Domain!
Last time I reviewed a film from Spain, and we're going to stay outside of the States for this one as well. I know some people have issues with subtitles, but personally I'd rather watch a quality film with subtitles than sit through a lot of the garbage that gets churned out by the Hollywood machine. It's not really just about quality either with foreign films. There's plenty of stinkers out there. I think it's important to open up to different cultures and ideas. If you're not willing or able to travel the world, then one of the best ways to understand a culture is through their art. I know plenty of xenophobic people who don't know and don't want to know anything outside of their everyday American experience. There's more to the world than just one country. We're all on this rock together, flying through space with no clear origin or destination. The least we can do is get to know and understand each other while we're on the ride. Coincidentally that's kinda what this films about. Let's get down to it shall we?
Labels:
Devlin Valek,
Devlin's Domain,
foreign films,
Life and Death of A Porno Gang,
movie reviews,
movies

Thank You, Tiny
I
wrote this last night while trying not to get too upset in front of
my co-workers:
I
just learned of the passing of Gerald “Tiny” Dockery.
Tiny
and I only run in the same circles once a year, so I was unaware of
his passing away in April until just recently, but I am greatly
saddened by the news. Those closest to Tiny have my deepest condolences.
If
you don’t know, Tiny was one of the men behind the greatest
wrestling shows on the planet – Dragon Con Wrestling.
Every
year Tiny and AJ would sit at the commentary table, calling some of
the craziest, most ridiculous, and entertaining action I’ve ever
seen. DCW is so good that me and a few of my friends started calling
ourselves the “DCW Hooligans” and sitting in the same spot every
year. Booze would flow, matches would get wilder, and we’d get
crazier. And AJ and Tiny would sit at that announce table, shaking
their heads.
Every
year Tiny and AJ seemed to accept us just a bit more, even getting to
the point of acknowledging us and – to a certain extent – egging
us on. They made us feel like a part of the show, and feeling like a
part of DCW is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Last
year I had the privilege of actually being a part of the show. I was
recruited to sit at the announce table in AJ’s spot and call
matches with none other than Tiny himself. I had called matches
before, but never an entire show. And certainly never one that I held
in the same esteem that I do DCW.
Tiny
was gracious and helpful while I was getting my footing. He helped me
out with timing and with the wrestlers’ names (Tiny didn’t know
them, either, but he had the call sheet and was more than happy to
share!). Workers come from all over to participate in Dragon Con
Wrestling, and I didn’t know everyone there. Once I did get
comfortable, Tiny was delightful to work with. He let me go off on my
tangents and had some sharp responses when appropriate. I think that
by the halfway point we had a pretty good act going on.
Never
mind that nobody could actually hear it…
I
feel blessed and privileged to have been able to work with Gerald
“Tiny” Dockery, even if only for that one night. He treated me
with respect, professionalism, and courtesy, which is something that
you don’t always see in the wrestling business; especially when
you’re the new guy. His kindness was part of the reason I was so
looking forward to announcing again this year.
Well,
that and the fact that Tiny was just a hoot to work with.
I
will always treasure the memory of that night and I’ll always be
thankful to Tiny for taking this green-as-grass loudmouth under his
wing. He did me a kindness that not many others would have.
Godspeed,
brother.
Labels:
DCW,
Dragon*Con Wrestling,
memorials,
Tiny

Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Toy Review – DC Comics Super-Villains Harley Quinn from DC Collectibles
Amanda
Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s Harley
Quinn
is one of the best comic books I’m reading right now. It’s
clever, fast-paced, hilarious, and it presents a version of Harley
that I like a lot.
Furthermore,
despite the existence of the term “Batgirling”, you will never
convince me that the success of this comic book – which debuted in
January of 2014, almost an entire year before the Batgirl reboot –
is not what drove DC to try out some lighter fare. This probably even
includes the aforementioned Batgirl reboot by Cameron Stewart,
Brendan Fletcher, and Babs Tarr. Harley
Quinn
was the first New 52 title to bring lightness and humor and it came
in at #2 in sales, only topped by the unstoppable juggernaut that is
Batman.
I
think that maybe
that raised some eyebrows at DC.
Labels:
action figures,
batman,
DC Collectibles,
dc comics,
Harley Quinn,
roller derby,
toy reviews

Movie Review: Ant-Man
When I first heard about Ant-Man I wasn't too excited. He was never one of my favorite characters, and I didn't see how they could do anything big enough to fit him in with everything else that's been going on in the MCU. Of course, when I heard about Paul Rudd being the lead I became much more interested. Like every other red-blooded American woman over 30 I do love Paul Rudd. I still didn't see how it was going to add to the giant epic-ness of the other movies, but at least now I was willing to see it in the theaters.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Arkham Knight – Final Thoughts
Maybe
Super
Mario Bros. 3.
I
used to get really excited for the WWE wrestling games, too, but that
excitement was always tempered by the knowledge that the newest game
was just as likely to be bogged down with new features that were not
better and inexplicable restrictions on old features that were fine
in the first place as it was to be an exciting and fresh improvement.
But
you guys – I bought a whole new system
for Arkham
Knight.
Labels:
Arkham Knight,
batman,
Rocksteady Games,
video games

Friday, July 17, 2015
Needless Things Podcast 64 – 2015 San Diego Comic Con Part 1 – The Toys
It
is time once again for Needless Things’ annual look at Sand Diego
Comic Con! This year was so big it required two episodes – one for
the toys and one for the various media happenings. Today’s Part 1
focuses on the toys that debuted this year.
Labels:
action figures,
hasbro,
Josh Wilson,
mattel,
MattyCollector,
mezco,
Mondo,
NECA,
Needless Things Podcast,
Podcast,
Ryan Schweck,
San Diego Comic Con,
SDCC,
SDCC 2015,
The Belligerent Monkey,
toys

Hey, Mr. DJ…Put a Fanvid On.
TV and movie fandoms express
themselves in some of the most creative ways I have ever seen. Fanction,
artwork, message board avatars, even creating recipes based on food from the
shows they love. My favorite medium, however, is a time-consuming one
that can be stressful, rewarding, and requires an imagination and muse that
work overtime. The art of fan vidding.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Devlin’s Domain – Witching and Bitching
What's
up freaks, welcome to Devlin's Domain!
I am Devlin and this is the
debut of my new movie review column. I've always been a big movie
geek. My first real job was as an eventual assistant manager at
Blockbuster, for those who remember those. I was there for 3-4 years
and was given the means to explore the lesser known and less
advertised underworld of cinema. I found a lot of films that blew me
away and will forever be a staple of my collection, no matter how
many different formats I will eventually have to buy. But in my
search for these hidden gems I also encountered piles and piles of
troll dung. I've seen some of the worst films ever made and hopefully
some of my reviews will spare you such an experience. I also hope to
expose you to some of the best you've never heard of. I'm sure I'll
eventually review some more mainstream titles as well, but there are
a lot of obscure films I'd like to get to first. Since this is the
first review, I will start things off on a positive note. The first
movie on the list is available on Netflix, which I'm sure most of you
have access to. It is called:
Witching
and Bitching
Labels:
Devlin Valek,
Devlin's Domain,
horror movies,
movie reviews,
witches

Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Danger on Godzilla: Godzilla vs. The Three Major Monsters!
Hey
guys! Sorry it’s been so long since my last review. I meant to do
this sooner, but, I changed my job, have been just overwhelmingly
busy, and… hmm, you don’t look too sympathetic… okay, I lost my
smile, alright? What? It worked for Shawn Michaels when he didn’t
want to lose the WWF title to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13!
Missing, one smile.
Labels:
Godzilla,
Johnny Danger,
Rampage,
video games

Monday, July 13, 2015
SDCC 2015 – The Non-Attendee Wrap-Up
I
didn’t make it out to San Diego for SDCC and I probably never will,
but thanks to the magic of the internet and a number of excellent
websites that do
have a presence there, I can follow along from here and supply you
good people with my thoughts.
Before
I get any further I want to mention those sites:
Action Figure Attack, who
is providing most of the pictures for this post and has TONS more on
Instagram and
Facebook. For any sections with no pictures, go and check out one of these sites to see what I'm talking about. I don't want to jack anybody's stuff without permission.
Those
guys all provide great pictures and without them I wouldn’t have
any idea what was going on.
Action
Figure Attack was nice enough to let me use some pictures, but I
don’t want to abuse the offer. I’ll have some photos here and
there, but I highly recommend you head over to the Action Figure Attack Facebook Page
to follow along.
For
all the claims that San Diego Comic Con is collapsing under its own
weight and that movie studios are pulling away from it in favor of
proprietary events, 2015 was a massive year full of exciting
occurrences. I felt more satisfied by the movie, comic book, and toy
presentations than I have in a while; possibly since I started
following the goings-on out there.
While
a little bit of everything goes on in San Diego, the main reason I’m
here today is to talk about the toys. Also, be sure to listen to the next two episodes of the
Needless
Things Podcast
for more coverage from myself and the Needless Things Irregulars.
Also also, join the Needless Things Facebook Group
to join in on the conversation yourself!
Labels:
collectibles,
DC Collectibles,
dc comics,
hasbro,
Masters of the Universe,
mattel,
mezco,
Mondo,
NECA,
San Diego Comic Con,
SDCC,
SDCC 2015,
Thundercats,
toys

Friday, July 10, 2015
Not Your Daddy’s Poker: Card Games For the Geekdom
No one appreciates a good card game
anymore. Board games are great. RPG campaigns are fabulous and a
great way to gather friends. But card games are just as energetic and
crazy. They can make you laugh just as hard and result in just as many
friends made- and lost- as any good tabletop in the world today…and the geekdom
is full of em’. Allow me to review some of the best hidden gems out
there. Poker is for ESPN. These card games? Well, as Hardison
says in the TV show Leverage, it’s the “Age of the geek, baby.”
Needless Things Podcast 63 – Remembering Dusty Rhodes
On
June 11th, 2015, the world lost a legend – wrestling superstar
Dusty Rhodes, The American Dream, passed away. In this episode of the
Needless Things Podcast, tribute is paid to the incomparable son of a
plumber.
Labels:
Dork Droppings,
Dusty Rhodes,
ESO Network,
ESO Podcast,
Joe Crowe,
Johnny Danger,
Needless Things,
Needless Things Podcast,
Noel Wood,
NWA,
Podcast,
Revolution SF,
Sean Reid,
The American Dream,
wcw,
wrestling,
wwe

Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Needless Things’ Guide to the 2015 San Diego Comic Con Exclusives!
Scrounged
from around the internet – here’s the best list I could manage of
this year’s San Diego Comic Con Exclusives!
This
is pretty much just the toys, and not even all of those. I know there’s far more than what’s
on this list, but trying to list comics would break my brain and
we’re not all that big on tote bags and commemorative spoons and
whatnot.
Labels:
collectibles,
conventions,
Funko,
Funko Pop!,
hasbro,
mattel,
mezco,
NECA,
San Diego Comic Con,
SDCC Exclusive,
SDCC. SDCC 2015,
Super 7,
toys

Movie Review - Big Game
Big Game
2014
110 Minutes Running Time
PG-13
This is a spoiler free movie review!
Jalmari Helander is probably not a name
you have heard or even recognize. Just by the name I probably wouldnt
either but I do know his 2010 Christmas movie very well. Rare
Exports: A Christmas Tale has reached cult status in just a few
years. It also has the honor of being one of the Christmas movies in
my collection that is a must watch every year during the holiday
season. Around October of last year, I discovered that Helander had
another movie coming out entitled Big Game.
Labels:
80's,
ACTION,
Cheesy Action Movie,
Felicity Huffman,
Finland,
Jim Broadbent,
Movie Review,
Onni Tommila,
PG-13,
President,
Rare Exports,
Ray Stevenson,
Samuel L Jackson,
Victor Garber
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Fallout: A Look Back (and Forward)
"War. War never changes."
If you've been living under a rock, or just don't pay any attention to video game news you may not have heard about the upcoming release of Fallout 4. Other than Microsoft announcing backward compatibility for the Xbox One this was the biggest news to come out of E3 for me this year. I had planned on going to PS4 when it was time for a new console, but I'm definitely going Xbox One now. And maybe sooner than I had planned after seeing how amazing Fallout 4 looks. Personally, I'm pretty damn excited about it, and wanted to share some of that excitement with you by taking a look back at the franchise history, while filling you in on what we know about the upcoming game right now.
If you've been living under a rock, or just don't pay any attention to video game news you may not have heard about the upcoming release of Fallout 4. Other than Microsoft announcing backward compatibility for the Xbox One this was the biggest news to come out of E3 for me this year. I had planned on going to PS4 when it was time for a new console, but I'm definitely going Xbox One now. And maybe sooner than I had planned after seeing how amazing Fallout 4 looks. Personally, I'm pretty damn excited about it, and wanted to share some of that excitement with you by taking a look back at the franchise history, while filling you in on what we know about the upcoming game right now.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Movie Review – Terminator: Genisys
I
wanted to be sure I watched Terminator:
Genisys
before I heard anything about it. I didn’t want to see a review, a
Facebook comment, or even someone on Twitter saying, “OMG Mother of
Cyborgs so amazeballs!” or whatever. Every once in a while I have a
really bad feeling about a movie that I am hopeful for and I find it
important to see it before my opinion can be tainted; positively or
negatively.
Labels:
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Movie Review,
movie reviews,
movies that suck,
Terminator,
Terminator: Genisys

Friday, July 3, 2015
Toy Review –Batman: Arkham City Clayface from DC Collectibles
Welcome
to Arkham Week on Needless Things!
Every
day this week I’ll be reviewing one of the new Arkham
Knight
figures from DC Collectibles.
At
least, that was the plan until DCC delayed the release of the Arkham
Knight figure, presumably because it contained some sort of spoiler
for the game. If you don’t know, the identity of the Arkham Knight
is the big mystery of the game. And it has been handled wonderfully.
Hopefully I will have had an opportunity to finish the story by the
time this posts and I’ll know whether or not my theory is correct.
If you want to know who I am 100% positive the Arkham Knight is,
listen to this week’s Needless
Things Podcast
and I’ll tell you at the end.
As
a result of the delay of the Arkham Knight figure I only had four
figures to review. Until I realized that I had somehow forgotten to
ever review one of the largest action figures in my collection –
the massive Arkham City Clayface from DC Collectibles.
Labels:
action figures,
Arkham City,
batman,
Clayface,
DC Collectibles,
toy reviews

Needless Things Podcast 62 – Batman: Arkham Knight
On
June 23rd,
2015, Rocksteady’s final Batman game was unleashed upon the world –
Batman:
Arkham Knight.
After a week of playing, Phantom Troublemaker gathered a group of
Batmaniacs to talk about the game and the history of the franchise.
Labels:
Arkham City,
Arkham Knight,
Arkham Origins,
batman,
Belligerent Monkey,
Chris "Crispy" Lloyd,
Mike Nelson,
Needless Things Podcast,
Ryan Schweck,
video games

Thursday, July 2, 2015
Toy Review –Batman: Arkham Knight Batman from DC Collectibles
Welcome
to Arkham Week on Needless Things!
Every
day this week I’ll be reviewing one of the new Arkham
Knight
figures from DC Collectibles, and on Friday we’ll be posting a
special episode of the Needless Things Podcast where we take a look
at the Arkham
video game franchise.
Today’s
figure is Batman in the Batsuit from the beginning of Arkham
Knight.
Labels:
action figures,
Arkham Knight,
batman,
DC Collectibles,
toy reviews

Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Toy Review –Batman: Arkham Knight Scarecrow from DC Collectibles
Welcome
to Arkham Week on Needless Things!
Every
day this week I’ll be reviewing one of the new Arkham
Knight
figures from DC Collectibles, and on Friday we’ll be posting a
special episode of the Needless Things Podcast where we take a look
at the Arkham
video game franchise.
Side
Note: The Arkham Knight figure has been delayed, so I’ve only got
four reviews. Word I’m getting is that it was pushed back due to
the figure itself containing spoilers for the game. I think it’s
somewhat prosaic that the antagonist from the oft-delayed game is,
itself delayed.
I
tend to start these reviews by talking about how much I love
whichever of Batman’s nemeses I’m covering. Some of them, like
Firefly, I don’t have a whole lot to say about. He’s fine. He
sets things on fire. Whatever.
But
most of these characters are ingrained into my consciousness from the
many forms of media they’ve been represented in, as well as their
various appearances in the comics I’ve read. For the most part I
think Scarecrow has been better represented than just about anyone.
Not more
often,
but more effectively and more in line with my concept of the
character.
Labels:
action figures,
Arkham Knight,
batman,
DC Collectibles,
Scarecrow,
toy reviews,
video games

Comic Book Wednesday – Previews July 2015: Now 1000% Star Warsier
If
you don’t know, Previews
is the catalogue that Diamond Comic Distributors use to offer the
products they distribute to comic book stores around the country.
This is where you can view and order (through your favorite Local
Comic Book Shop) comic books, trade paperback collections, t-shirts,
books, media, and toys and other collectibles from hundreds of
different vendors that deal in geek-oriented merchandise. The genius
part is that you actually have to pay for your copy of Previews
for the privilege of ordering other things to pay for. It’s like
the Ren Fest except without the horse poo smell.
So
every month a new edition of Previews
is sent out to comic book stores. Contained in the pages within are
products that might be currently available or could be released
anytime in the next year; but typically about two months away. Or
sometimes never. I’ve ordered lots
of things that have just never come in. Without getting into the
specific politics of Diamond, let me just say that they aren’t
quite
a monopoly and also aren’t quite
the worst distributor anybody has ever dealt with in the history of
the universe.
But
I’m not here to discuss that. I’m here to discuss a few of the
weird and/or wonderful items offered in this month’s edition.

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