The Alchemist

THE ALCHEMIST IS ON HIATUS...

2008-05-24T00:40:00.004-05:00

The site is going on a little bit of a vacation for the time being, but will return (in one form or another) soon.

Keep your eyes peeled...

Cheers,

The Alchemist

A/V CLUB- Merge Miami Film & Media Conference!

2008-05-02T21:49:00.009-05:00

Last week, while the site was on a little bit of a hiatus, The Alchemist was on beautiful Miami Beach covering the Merge Miami Film & Media Conference, where the movers and shakers of the film and television industries met with filmmakers and artists for a series of panels about such subjects as securing financing, landing a distribution deal, and the role of media in society.

Thanks to our friends at Merge Miami, Hodge Podge Productions, and Wow TV, you can watch some highlights from the weekend:

DAY 1

After the first day of panels, The Alchemist was there to check out fashion designer (and Project Runway season 1 winner) Jay McCarroll's new collection. Jay is a super-nice guy, was extremely gracious and just as hilarious-- if you get a kick out of the video, you can only imagine what it was like that night, especially after those complimentary vodkas...

DAY 2

THE ALCHEMIST WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE AT MERGE MIAMI, THE GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL, JAY MCCARROLL, AND ALL THE AMAZING FOLKS WE MET FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND A FANTASTIC WEEKEND! IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE BLAST, AND WE'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!

http://mergemiami.com/

*Merge Miami logo courtesy Merge Miami
*Merge Miami video clips by Hodge Podge Productions, courtesy Merge Miami
*Special thanks to Wow TV (http://wowtv.tv/) for hosting the videos

NOISE- FIRST LOOK: "Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free" video by Zombie Zombie!

2008-04-22T01:11:00.005-05:00

I don't know who Zombie Zombie are, and I've never heard their music before, but I stumbled across this video tonight and was completely blown away by how flawless the animation is.

If you've ever worked with puppets or armatures and done this kind of work, you know how difficult it is to make the animation look this smooth, natural, and believable. Oh, and if you're a stop-motion geek who likes G.I. Joes and your favorite horror movie is John Carpenter's THE THING, you're gonna wanna see this.

http://www.myspace.com/therealzombiezombie

http://www.myspace.com/toutsanscoeur

*"Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free" song by Zombie Zombie. "Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free" video by Simon Gesrel and Xavier Ehretsmann, song and video courtesy Zombie Zombie, Mssrs. Gesrel and Ehretsmann, and Versatile/Boomboomtchak! (record label)

*Special thanks to Youtube.com for hosting the video and user JeanCarpentier for posting it.

NOISE- Download the new Gnarls Barkley record for FREE!

2008-04-18T15:00:00.009-05:00

After releasing two fantastic neo-soul-psychedelic records, the mad geniuses Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse (known to the world at large as Gnarls Barkley) are at it again, this time releasing their latest album The Odd Couple for free!

But there's a catch: IT'S BACKWARDS!

Elpuoc ddO ehT is one 38 minute, 45 second track full of Danger Mouse's crazy-ass beats and Cee-Lo's inimitable soul croon, all in reverse.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, there's a pretty good chance the duo won't take any personal responsibility if you "hear secret messages" encoded in the music and decide to murder your entire family dressed as a D&D character. Consult with your lawyer on this one, but "Neighbor's Dog Told Me to Kill" would probably be a better defense.

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM HERE:

http://www.fronttobackbacktofront.com/

http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/

http://www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley

*Image by and courtesy of Gnarls Barkley/Downtown Records/Atlantic/Warner Bros.

A/V CLUB- G.I. OH NO! (Part 2)

2008-04-18T14:16:00.013-05:00

Some very official-looking images of the costumes from next year's big screen G.I. Joe adaptation have surfaced online... and they're HILARIOUS!

STORM SHADOW & THE BARONESS

DUKE

SCARLETT

RIPCORD

GENERAL HAWK

COVERGIRL

Just when you thought the studio might've gotten the costumes right (I.E. Snake Eyes), they come out with this crap. The biggest problem is that they're so generic. Rather than looking like characters from G.I. Joe, they look more like something from a Sci-Fi Channel made-for-TV movie. Honestly speaking, I've seen homemade fan films with better, more convincing costuming.

While I wasn't expecting the 1980s "classic" looks for Duke, Scarlett, and the gang, I was expecting a little bit of effort in the updating of their costumes, just like what was done with the Transformers film... seriously, what the fuck are they wearing?

This is one of the final nails in the coffin of my interest in this film. After seeing these images and knowing that a hack director like Stephen Sommers is attached and that the majority of the roles are mis-cast, I've washed my hands of this project. I think I've seen all I need to know that it's not being made by people passionate about the characters or their rich history, but rather opportunists looking to cash in after the success of another toy-related film.

It's gonna take a lot to convince me otherwise.

*Images by and courtesy of Paramount Pictures/Di Bonaventura Pictures/Hasbro

PLASTIQUE- The Spirit revealed... again.

2008-04-17T15:38:00.018-05:00

Last week, photos leaked of Gabriel Macht in costume from Frank Miller's much-anticipated-- but hush-hush-- adaptation of the late Will Eisner's comic The Spirit, but were pulled before The Alchemist had a chance to save them...

It apparently was all for naught, as DC Direct released an image of their upcoming 1:6 sale Spirit :

I don't know why Miller changed the costume from blue to black, but I dig the look... are those black Converse All-Stars Mr. Colt is rocking?

The movie-- described on the official site as being "In the vein of Batman Begins and Sin City"-- stars Macht, Samuel L. Jackson (as the villainous Octopus), and the extremely beautiful trio of Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King, and Eva Mendes, and is slated to hit theatres in January 2009.

Expect more info about the top-secret project this weekend, straight from the New York Comic Con!

http://www.dccomics.com/dcdirect/

http://www.mycityscreams.com/

*Image by and courtesy of DC Direct

A/V CLUB- How Hulk smash poster? It already flat! HULK ANGRY! HULK SMASH!

2008-04-17T15:03:00.006-05:00

With all the hype surrounding next month's Iron Man, it almost seems like The Incredible Hulk has taken a backseat. Maybe Ang Lee's terrible adaptation is still leaving a bad taste in peoples' mouths, but I've gotta say that I've always had a soft spot for ol' Green Genes, going back to when I was a little kid and I had this giant rotocast PVC figure of him. Lotsa great memories.

ANYWAY, here's the theatrical poster for this summer's The Incredible Hulk:

And because I'm such a swell guy, here's an official trailer:

Apologies for the video quality. You can watch a hi-res version over at the film's site. When I tried to get it to post to Blogger, it didn't cooperate... oh, technology!

Looking forward to checking this one out in the theatre, and I *LOVE* the idea of Edward Norton playing Banner. He's one of the few leading actors out there who's believable as A) a brilliant but troubled scientist and B) someone so full of rage that he can turn into a walking weapon of mass destruction. It looks like they're going for an update of the 70s series rather than a sequel to Lee's disasterpiece, which is the right way to go. The less said about that one, the better...

http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/

*Poster image and trailer courtesy Marvel Films and Universal
*Special thanks to Youtube.com for hosting the video and user lightscamerafilmuk for posting it

PLASTIQUE- HASBRO ANNOUNCES NEW JOE LINE!

2008-04-15T16:25:00.034-05:00

For the last week, a new list of characters rumored to be included in future waves of Hasbro's 25th Anniversary line has been making its way around the 'Net-- this happens so often that it's not usually worth reporting because there's little in the way of any real evidence-- but Hasbro has confirmed a number of the listings with the announcement of their Hall of Heroes line!

Hall of Heroes sounds similar to the Star Wars Saga Legends line: A collection of previous releases, but with different or updated paint applications. It could mean relief for those of us that've had trouble finding the 25th originals at retail (*COUGH*Wave6*COUGH*), as well as a way to get "new" characters out (ala the dozens of Clone Troopers from Saga Legends).

What's better than a new Joe line?

YOU get to vote on who's gonna be in it!

Nominees for the first 10 figures in Hall of Heroes include ALL of the singles from the first nine waves of the 25th Anniversary line, as well as some surprises:

-Duke Tiger Force
-Cobra Wraith
-Mutt and Junkyard
-Cobra Para-Vipers
-Cobra Bazooka Trooper
-Cobra Croc Master
-Pilot Scarlett
-Specialist Trakker
-Sgt. Airborne
-Cobra Eel
-Swamp Zartan
-Flint in Cobra Gear

Could "Specialist Trakker" be Matt Trakker, from the iconic 80s cartoon MASK?:

That's the hot rumor online right now, especially since "MASK" was a figure on the most recent Wal-Mart rumor list... While MASK is nowhere to be seen on Hasbro's ballot, Trakker is...

Hmm.

We won't know for sure until images surface, but it's fun to think about.

In the meantime, cast your ballots here!:

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/default.cfm?page=Entertainment/Poll

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/

*G.I. Joe cartoon image courtesy Hasbro/Marvel Productions/Sunbow Productions/Toei Animation Company
*Matt Trakker image courtesy Ashi Pro/C&D Asia/DiC Enterprises/ICC TV Productions Ltd./Kenner Parker Toys Inc./Studio World
*MASK opening clip courtesy Ashi Pro/C&D Asia/DiC Enterprises/ICC TV Productions Ltd./Kenner Parker Toys Inc./Studio World, special thanks to Youtube.com for hosting the video and to user electracer for posting it

PLASTIQUE- NEW INDY FIGURES!

2008-04-12T14:40:00.016-05:00

While it's been confirmed by Hasbro that there will be multiple assortments of their Indiana Jones movie line, each based on a different installment of the tri-- er, saga, we haven't seen all of the product planned for 2008. Sure, we've already gandered at the figures for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but we haven't gotten a look-see at the toys from Last Crusade... until today!

HENRY JONES, JR. (AKA YOUNG INDIANA JONES)

DR. HENRY JONES, SR.

GRAIL KNIGHT

COLONEL VOGEL

DR. ELSA SCHNEIDER

...What a great-lookin' wave!

The River Phoenix likeness on Young Indy is right-on. Let's hope the final figure doesn't change too much from the prototype. I've got a feeling customizers will be stocking upon the Grail Knight and Vogel-- I can see a deluge of 1:18 Red Skulls (in Nazi uniform) flooding all the usual custom sites by year's end. Hell, I might even be able to finish my Joe-scale Rocketeer now...

http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/

http://www.indianajones.com/

*Images by and courtesy Hasbro

PLASTIQUE- GI JOE 25TH ANNIVERSARY WAVE 9= BEST. LINEUP. EVER.

2008-04-07T16:13:00.045-05:00

Hasbro and the GI Joe Collectors' Club have unveiled the first official images of the ninth wave of the 25th Anniversary GI Joe line, and it's easily the best so far... of course it helps that Wave 9 marks the debut of the modernized version of my favorite A Real American Hero figure, the Battle Android Trooper!

Rumors of the lineup have been amping up over the last few days, but these pics gave fans definitive confirmation: Classic fan-favorite characters like Joe firefighter Barbeque, Cobra arctic troopers the Snow Serpents, football-obsessed missile specialist Bazooka, and GI Joe leader General Hawk will all be making their way into the line in 2008!

BATTLE ANDROID TROOPER

BARBEQUE

SNOW SERPENT

BAZOOKA

GENERAL HAWK (V. 2)

BLACK NINJA/NINJA-KU

GROUP (note the cool attachments on BOTH ARMS of the B.A.T.)

...And I thought Wave 5 was great.

Reading the rumored character lists for this series, I was totally psyched, but didn't want to get my hopes up in case it turned out to be bullshit. Now, looking at the figures, I think I can safely say that this is a dream lineup. Pretty much every single figure was a childhood favorite, and now that the sculpting is up to 21st Century standards, they're gonna be even better!

Some random thoughts:

B.A.T.- We knew about this one at Toy Fair, but these official product images have me ecstatic. This guy was my absolute favorite GI Joe figure to play with as a kid, and I'm loving the update. The robot detailing looks great (let's hope Hasbro uses that wash to bring out the sculpting), and I love the new arm attachments. Also, the chest is not a lenticular sticker (like the '86 original), but rather sculpted wires and electronics covered with a transparent plastic panel. Just when you thought this figure couldn't get any cooler, there will be a battle-damaged version, complete with cracked chest panel and mangled head!

BARBEQUE- Growing up, I was a huge fan of the Joe cartoon, so I was always more of a Barbeque guy (rather than, say, Blowtorch, or Charbroil). He always had the cooler costume (or is that "hotter"?), and, for some reason, I was obsessed with the little ax that could snap onto his leg. His 25th-style costume is bulkier, but it works, though his breathing tank could be a little bit smaller... but that's getting nit-picky. I'm really happy to see a brand-new version of BBQ included in the best GI Joe line ever made.

SNOW SERPENT- Now this is a troop-builder. Sure, the Cobra Blue Shirts and Vipers are alright, but the Snow Serpents were always a cool group of specialists that never got much love or respect, despite a great design. It makes sense that Hasbro's putting out the Serpent given that we've got a Joe arctic trooper, even though Hasbro said they wouldn't put one out during a Q&A. The Snow Serpent got a real nice update in the direct-to-consumer GI Joe line a few years back, but the 25th incarnation is so much better.

BAZOOKA- Another character that became a favorite of mine because of the cartoon, Bazooka was always kinda weird, even for a member of a team that included a Bruce Lee lookalike, a drunken sailor that sounded like Jack Nicholson, and a crazed hillbilly pilot. He mainly stuck out because of his jersey, and, for whatever reason, that was good enough for me as a kid. While I'm not sold on the head just yet, the rest of the figure looks fantastic. He just might get a substitute Biggs head (from the Star Wars line) when he joins the ranks of my collection...

GENERAL HAWK- One of the few Joes I never had growing up, I'm kinda indifferent about his inclusion. Sure, he's a cool-looking character who's gonna look good barking orders at the rest of my Joes, but honestly speaking, they could've put Tunnel Rat or Hit & Run in his place and I would've been fine with that. This one's worlds better than the comic pack version,so he'll probably be my quintessential Hawk... well, unless they release a 25th figure of the crazy one that came with a space helmet and weird F-14-looking jetpack...

BLACK NINJA/NINJA-KU- Okay, technically this figure is supposed to be Storm Shadow in a black gi, but for all intents and purposes, it's Ninja-Ku, the black ninja Joe figure released in Argentina, probably during the height of the 80s ninja craze, when I dressed as a ninja for Halloween, like, three or four times in a row. It's super-cool that Hasbro is doing these little nods to the International figures (like the red ninja, AKA "Satan"), but it's still a re-use of an existing mold, so I'm kinda meh. Good thing the rest of the wave is so freakin' awesome. I feel like a kid again.

Oh, for your viewing pleasure, here are some smaller pics from Hasbro. While they're not great, they do show a lot of the sweet-ass accessories these dudes are gonna come with!

BATTLE ANDROID TROOPER

BARBEQUE

SNOW SERPENT

BAZOOKA (is that a removable missile that fits into his backpack?!?)

GENERAL HAWK (V. 2)

BLACK NINJA/NINJA-KU

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/

http://gijoeclub.com/

*All images by and courtesy of Hasbro/GI Joe Collectors' Club
*Special thanks to joecustoms.com user Matthew for the group shot-- thanks, dude!
*THE ALCHEMIST WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SHOUT-OUT TO BRIAN S. JACOBSON, ESQUIRE-- HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER, MAN!

A/V CLUB- FULL HELLBOY II TRAILER!

2008-04-03T20:25:00.009-05:00

Universal has released the full trailer for Guillermo del Toro's sequel to his kick-ass Hellboy adaptation-- Hellboy II: The Golden Army-- and it looks bigger and better than the first!

Unlike the previous HB film, which was loosely based on Mike Mignola's comics, Hellboy II features an original story by Mssrs. del Toro and Mignola, and from what we see in the trailer, this one's gonna be epic. I love that the BPRD roster has been expanded to include Johann Kraus (in a cool-ass, retrofuturistic deep sea-diver-looking outfit!) and that the new Hellboy picture is being put out by Universal, home of all the classic monster movies... let's hope this is the start of a new era...

http://hellboymovie.com/

*Hellboy II trailer courtesy Universal
*Special thanks to Youtube.com for hosting the video and user MicroobZ for posting it!

A/V CLUB-The Man Who Laughs...

2008-04-03T20:16:00.008-05:00

Scope out these new images of the late Heath Ledger as The Joker that have mysteriously surfaced online:

Love that first one with the Batman costume... but what's with the heavily-armed Joker dressed as a nurse?

Wonder if Mattel's gonna make a figure of that...

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

*Images courtesy Warner Bros.

PLASTIQUE- Bertie shipping out in two weeks!

2008-04-03T19:57:00.010-05:00

After months of drool-worthy teasers (like the newest one above), Ashley Wood's first synthetic soldier in the World War Robots line-- Bertie the Pipebomb-- will officially deploy at the New York Comic Con, which runs from April 18th-20th! The figure, which comes loaded with accessories and articulation, will be available in two variants: Dirty Deeds Bertie (shown above) and Desert Rat Bertie (er... not shown above). Though the MSRP is unknown at this point, it's guesstimated that the mechanized bad-ass will retail for $250-$300.

For more info, please visit Mr. Wood's website(s):

http://bambaland.com/ (official online store)
http://ashleybambaland.blogspot.com/
http://ashleywoodartist.com/
http://www.worldwarrobot.com/

*Image courtesy Ashley Wood

NOISE- NEW RACONTEURS OUT TODAY!

2008-03-25T16:37:00.002-05:00

Last week, The Raconteurs (AKA Jack White's other band) pulled a Radiohead and announced their new album Consolers of the Lonely without any fanfare or hype as a kind of experiment to see what happens when you promote an album after it's released (rather than before, as per industry standard). They haven't done a ton of press and the video for the first single "Salute Your Solution" isn't in heavy rotation on MTV... though I doubt any music is in heavy rotation on MTV. But I digress...

NEW RACONTEURS ROCK & ROLL GOODNESS!:

NOTE: CLICK ON OPTION ONE TO SELECT THE MUSIC VIDEO, THEN PRESS THE PLAY ICON TO START IT.

I was a big fan of The Raconteurs' first record, Broken Boy Soldiers, and if "Salute Your Solution" is any indication, I'm going to LOVE the new one. From what little I've heard, it sounds like Jack White has perfected his 70s guitar scream and Mr. White and Brendan Benson have nailed the whole dual vocalist enigma.

You can download Consolers of the Lonely right now via popular online stores like iTunes, or the band's official site, or purchase the CD/vinyl at your favorite purveyor of musical nourishment.

http://theraconteurs.com/

*Consolers of the Lonely image and "Salute Your Solution" music video courtesy The Raconteurs, Third Man/XL/Warner Brothers Records

A/V CLUB-FIRST LOOK: Ray Park as Snake Eyes!

2008-03-21T14:44:00.012-05:00

The first official images of Ray Park as Snake Eyes have surfaced online, and, well, they speak for themselves:

The first pic is very reminiscent of artist David Michael Beck's interpretation of the iconic 80s character, which was released as a poster by former Joe comics publisher Devil's Due:

Snake Eyes' duds aren't exactly the most visually complex, but it's nice to see that the studio and the people associated with the production are trying enough to nail something so simple, right down to the blade strapped across SE's chest (GEEKINESS ALERT: Ol' Snakes is something of a knife aficionado).

While I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of a Stephen Sommers-directed Joe film and have scratched my head at a few of the casting decisions, it's stuff like this that keeps my interest piqued... wonder if Timber will be making a cameo alongside his owner and partner-in-crimefighting...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046173/
http://www.paramount.com/
http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/
http://devilsdue.net/

*Ray Park as Snake Eyes images by and courtesy of Paramount and Hasbro
*Snake Eyes illustration by David Michael Beck, courtesy Mr. Beck, Devil's Due, and Hasbro

A/V CLUB-FIRST LOOK: Benecio Del Toro as The Wolfman!

2008-03-20T16:05:00.011-05:00

Entertainment Weekly has scored the first official image of Benecio Del Toro as The Wolfman from Universal's forthcoming remake of the 1940s classic:

It should come as no surprise that the make-up was done by six-time Academy Award-winner Rick Baker-- the special fx god who also did the zombies and cat monster make-up for Michael Jackson's classic music video Thriller. EW even scored an interview with Mr. Baker, which can be found here:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20185191,00.html

The film, which is directed by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, October Sky) and written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Seven) and David Self, is slated for a February 13th, 2009 release and stars Mr. Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugo Weaving.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0780653/

*Image courtesy Entertainment Weekly/www.ew.com/

PLASTIQUE- Massive NECA update!

2008-03-18T16:00:00.022-05:00

With the madness of Toy Fair '08 now a distant memory, collectibles company NECA has updated their website with brand-new images of some very cool upcoming products that simulaneously make toy collectors cheer and their wallets very, very sad.:

LEONARDO

DONATELLO

MICHELANGELO

RAPHAEL

Loose images of everyone's favorite ninja-themed reptiles named after Renaissance artists have been available for a while, but take a gander at their gorgeous packages-- wait, uh, er, yeah... I meant to say that. Anyway, look for each Turtle to come with their pre-mutated selves, a piece of a super-cool street diorama, and an alternate set of clawed climbing hands. Depending on who you pick up, you'll also receive a bonus accessory: a cannister of ooze for Don, throwing stars for Mike, and throwing knives for Raph... no extra weapon goodness for Leo? What's up with that, NECA?

BEETLEJUICE

Debuted last month at Toy Fair, The Ghost with the Most will arrive this summer, just in time for his film's 20th anniversary (!!!). NECA has yet to reveal Beetlejuice's accessories, but he will be a part of the 7th wave of the company's Cult Classics collection, alongside Grindhouse's Stuntman Mike. Beetlejuice in his red tux is rumored for the line, but what I really want is BJ in his cowboy get-up. "COME ON DOWN, I'LL-- CHEW ON A DOG!"

JARETH

HOGGLE

A Jareth and Hoggle two-pack has been whispered about since NECA snagged the Labyrinth license, and it looks like the rumors are true! The Goblin King and his servant will bust out of the maze this spring, but until then, check out NECA's site for upcoming details about accessories and packaging. So, NECA, how 'bout a life-size Jennifer Connelly for the fanboys, huh?

http://necaonline.com/

*Images by and courtesy of NECA

PLASTIQUE- The Dark Knight 1:6 figures by DC Direct

2008-03-18T15:37:00.014-05:00

With mere months to go before the release of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, DC Comics' in-house collectibles company DC Direct has released official images of their 1:6 (12") scale movie figures!:

Both Batman (in his new costume!) and The Joker will be released on July 9th (nine days before the film's big premiere!) and should retail for about $89.99. Bats will include a real fabric cape (poseable), grappling gun, Batarangs, extra hands, a display stand, and a "pneumatic mangler," whatever the hell that is. The Joker arrives decked out in his fully-detailed movie costume and comes with three knives, a handgun (with removeable clip!), his bank robbing mask, extra hands, and a display stand.

Batman listing:

http://www.dccomics.com/dcdirect/?dcd=9618&lst=new&cat=JUST+ANNOUNCED

Joker listing:

http://www.dccomics.com/dcdirect/?dcd=9617&lst=new&cat=JUST+ANNOUNCED

http://www.dccomics.com/dcdirect/

*Images by and courtesy of DC Direct

A/V CLUB-FIRST LOOK: LOST BOYS 2 TRAILER!

2008-03-12T14:46:00.010-05:00

MTV.com has premiered the trailer for the sequel to the 80s classic The Lost Boys, AKA the only good film Joel Schumacher ever directed. Set 20 years after the events of the first movie, Lost Boys 2: The Tribe follows a group of fresh-faced Abercrombie-looking co-eds who will eventually be mauled by motorcycle-riding vampires, this time led by Angus Sutherland (Kiefer's brother).

The only ones who can stop them?

THE FROG BROTHERS!

That's right-- Corey Feldman returns as vampire hunter Edgar Frog!

And rumor has it that the other half of The Coreys, Corey Haim, will also make an appearance...

HEADS-UP: CLICKING ON THE LARGER PLAY ICON TAKES YOU TO MTV FOR THE EXCLUSIVE TRAILER. CLICKING ON THE SMALLER PLAY ICON IN THE BOTTOM LEFT-HAND CORNER PLAYS THE COREY FELDMAN INTERVIEW. FUCKING MTV!

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1583178&vid=215372

*Lost Boys 2 trailer and Corey Feldman interview courtesy Warner Bros. and MTV

PLASTIQUE- Buck Rogers update!

2008-03-11T22:39:00.012-05:00

Last month, we reported that Go Hero was producing a 12" figure of legendary space adventurer Buck Rogers. While the company has yet to unveil images of the intrepid hero, they have updated their website with teaser pics of Rogers' Disintegrator pistol!:

Work-in-progress shots:

A size comparison, with the Daisy original:

I'm a fan of retro sci-fi and ray guns, so I'm loving the Atomic Disintegrator!

Check out all that detail the sculptor managed to cram into the piece!

No release date has been set for the figure, but expect him to come equipped with a die-cast jet pack, removable helmet (with functional visor, natch!), and, of course, his Atomic Disintegrator, when he flies onto store shelves!

Initial post about the 12" Buck Rogers figure:

http://thealchemistonline.blogspot.com/2008/02/plastique-buck-rogers-returns.html

http://www.gohero.com/

http://www.inthe25thcentury.com/

*Images by and courtesy of Go Hero

A/V CLUB- INDIANA JONES THEATRICAL POSTER!

2008-03-11T22:09:00.014-05:00

The final one sheet poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been revealed, and boy oh boy, is it chock full of Drew Struzan goodness!

You might remember Mr. Struzan's posters for all of the previous Indiana Jones films, his iconic Star Wars work, and just about every other amazing 80s movie, including Blade Runner, The Goonies, and the Back to the Future trilogy (among many others).

The official Indiana Jones site has a mini version of the image available as a free download, but if you'd like to own the full-sized poster, you can order it online at the official Lucasfilm store:

http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=417806&rid=IJCOM

http://www.indianajones.com/

http://drewstruzan.com/

*Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull poster by Drew Struzan, courtesy Mr. Struzan, Paramount Pictures, Amblin, and Lucasfilm, Ltd.

NOISE- FIRST LOOK: "Run" video by Gnarls Barkley!

2008-03-09T04:41:00.004-05:00

In their continued war on actually playing music videos, the fascists at MTV have opted not to air the video for "Run," the first single off Gnarls Barkley's new album The Odd Couple, essentially relegating it to The Internets.

Guess they'd rather air "reality" bullshit like The Hills instead.

End rant, make happy time:

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE EPILEPSY OR ARE SENSITIVE TO STROBING, DO NOT WATCH THE VIDEO.

http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/

http://www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley

*Video courtesy Downtown Records/Warner Music
*Special thanks to Youtube.com for hosting the video and user gnarlsbarkleyvideos for posting it

NOISE- Danger Mouse to produce Beck!

2008-03-08T03:42:00.014-05:00

Indie music site Pitchfork Media has confirmed with DJ Danger Mouse's management that the in-demand producer will work with alterna-god Beck on his first full album since 2006's amazing THE INFORMATION.

Though he has collaborated with acts ranging from The Rapture and Sparklehorse to MF Doom, Danger Mouse is best known for his mash-up The Grey Album-- where he mixed vocal tracks from Jay-Z's The Black Album and The Beatles' The White Album-- as well as his work with rapper Cee-Lo as the duo Gnarls Barkley...

You might remember their little song "Crazy":

While his work has been consistently solid since his breakthrough album Odelay, Beck's last few records have been among the best of his career, especially Guero and THE INFORMATION. It seems like after 15 years of experimentation, he's finally able to blend ALL of his styles (rock, hip-hop, folk, country, electronic, etc.) into cohesive masterpieces.

I can't wait to see what he does with Danger Mouse, who has been innovating popular music since his arrival into the mainstream.

This is going to be a coup.

Original story:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/49154-danger-mouse-producing-new-beck-album

http://www.beck.com/

http://www.dangermousesite.com/

*Image courtesy Beck/Insterscope
*Special thanks to Youtube.com for hosting the "Crazy" video and user karmazach for posting it

A/V CLUB- FIRST LOOK: WATCHMEN COSTUMES!

2008-03-06T05:05:00.021-05:00

After 20+ years in development Hell, it finally looks like the Watchmen movie is real!

With one year to go until the release of the film, Warner Bros. released these first official images of the actors in their costumes-- AND THEY NAILED IT!

THE COMEDIAN

RORSCHACH

NITE OWL

OZYMANDIAS

SILK SPECTRE

Jeffrey Dean Morgan just drips nastiness as the government person of mass destruction The Comedian. Dig that sneer!

Rorschach is mysterious, creepy, and unsettling, just as he should be. I'm very happy they stayed true to his simple costume, which befits a loner, no-budget vigilante.

I'm very surprised by the update to Nite Owl's duds-- very Batman Begins, but also appropos for a character that is obviously inspired by the Dark Knight (or, at least he is in the comics...).

Ozymandias has also undergone something of a transformation, but at least it's kinda true to the spirit of Dave Gibbons' original design. I don't know what to make of the replacing of Veidt's purple tunic with Batman Forever-era body armor, though.

Malin Akerman looks hot as the Silk Spectre. The bangs are sexy as hell, and I'm kinda glad they diteched her transparent yellow raincoat and went with the skin-tight latex-y material... sorta like the Silk Spectre gone high fashion photo shoot...

http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

*Images by and courtesy of Warner Bros.

NOISE- FIRST LOOK: "Timebomb" video by Beck!

2008-02-29T16:07:00.009-05:00

When Beck released the digital single "Timebomb" on iTunes last year, nobody knew what to make of it. Was it a follow-up to his masterful album THE INFORMATION? Was it a preview of another booty-shakin' Prince jams record, ala Midnite Vultures?

While you're pondering Mr. Hansen's next move, check out the video for "Timebomb," featuring artwork by the environmentally-concious Chris Jordan.

It's a house-rockin' party track AND an eco statement!

Beat that, Jonas Brothers!

http://www.beck.com/

http://www.myspace.com/beck

*Video courtesy Beck/Interscope Records
*Special thanks to Youtube for hosting the video

NOISE- FIRST LOOK: "Superchrist" video by Smashing Pumpkins!

2008-02-27T15:41:00.007-05:00

Smashing Pumpkins premiered their video "Superchrist" via Myspace today, and it rocks like it's 1994!

Directed by Justin Coloma and featuring Ysanne Spevack on violin and members of the legendary 1960s garage band The Seeds, "Superchrist" is one of the heaviest songs ever released by the band, and recalls the great B-sides the Pumpkins put out during the Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness eras.

Fans of the live performance of "Silverfuck" seen in the documentary Vieuphoria will definitely get a kick out of this one...

The Smashing Pumpkins - Superchrist

Add to My Profile | More Videos

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

http://www.myspace.com/smashingpumpkins

*Video courtesy Smashing Pumpkins and Myspace

PLASTIQUE- FIRST LOOK: Bertie packaging art!

2008-02-22T15:35:00.008-05:00

After a well-deserved break to spend time with his new baby, Ashley Wood gave fans a sneak peek at the box artwork for Big Shot Toyworks' Bertie the Pipebomb, based on Mr. Woods' designs:

I'm digging this painting a lot, and it showcases what Ashley Wood does best: ROBOTS KICKING SERIOUS ASS!

Bertie deploys in April 2008 and will stand 14" tall, feature 43 points of articulation, and come kitted out with weapons like rocket-propelled grenades and knives for messin' up zombies real good! For info on how to get yours, scope out:

http://www.worldwarrobot.com/

http://ashleybambaland.blogspot.com/

http://ashleywoodartist.com/

*Image by and courtesy of Ashley Wood
*THE ALCHEMIST WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ASHLEY WOOD AND HIS FAMILY ON THEIR NEW ADDITION!

A/V CLUB- 187 on a muthafucking cop...

2008-02-22T15:21:00.006-05:00

Warner Bros. has released one of the first official stills from their upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' ground-breaking graphic novel Watchmen-- and it doesn't fuck around!

Check out the vigilante Rorschach (portrayed by actor Jackie Earle Haley) lighting up a SWAT guy's life:

If you haven't, definitelyy check out the original comic before heading out to the theatre. It's one of the greatest for a reason.

Rorschach is a psychotic anti-hero that you won't soon forget.

http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

*Image courtesy Warner Bros.

PLASTIQUE- Hasbro's Cloverfield Monster revealed!

2008-02-15T16:26:00.005-05:00

After weeks of keeping collectors in the dark, Hasbro has unveiled its rendition of the monster from the JJ Abrams-produced creature feature Cloverfield:

...Looks kinda like a giant bat without wings.

The figure is a Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive, so it won't be available anywhere else but online. The exclusivity comes at a price, though: $99.99.

What does a hundred bucks get you?

Check the specs, direct from Hasbro's site:

-70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail
-Authentic sound
-14” tall
-10 parasites
-Two interchangeable heads
-Statue of Liberty head accessory
-Special Cloverfield collector’s edition packaging

You can order yours here:

http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/ProductsByBrand.htm?BR=863&ID=21030

*Images by and courtesy of Hasbro

A/V CLUB- FIRST LOOK: Gotham Knight featurette!

2008-02-15T16:07:00.004-05:00

DC Comics has produced this wonderful 10-minute featurette/sneak preview of their upcoming direct-to-DVD animated film Gotham Knight:

In 10 minutes, there's a short history of Batman, his other animated appearances, and insight into the making of the movie, which consists of six vignettes produced by the best Japanese animation houses in the industry today. We even get a sneak peek at three of the movie's villains: stone-cold assassin Deadshot, mutant freak Killer Croc, and the creepy psychiatrist-turned-psycho Scarecrow.

There's even a segment that's reminiscent of Mike Mignola's Batman work!

Look for Gotham Knight to be released this summer, before The Dark Knight hits theatres!

http://www.dccomics.com/

*Gotham Knight featurette by and courtesy of DC Comics/Warner Bros.
*Special thanks to Youtube for hosting the file!

A/V CLUB- FIRST LOOK: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer!

2008-02-14T15:28:00.003-05:00

'Nuff said.

http://www.indianajones.com/

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/indianajones.html?showVideo=1

*Trailer courtesy Paramount/Lucasfilm/Yahoo! Movies

PLASTIQUE- Better pics of those Hellboy II: The Golden Army figures!

2008-02-14T02:57:00.014-05:00

Earlier this week, the first image of Mezco's Hellboy II figures hit Teh Internets, and fan response was overwhelming-- collectors can't wait to get their mitts on 'em-- so, Mezco has released brand-new, higher-res pics of the movie line!

Perhaps it's a valentine to all the rabid Hellboy fanboys/girls?

...Or maybe it's because Toy Fair 2008 coincides with Valentine's Day weekend?

Either way, the toys look great, but I like to think it's Mez givin' a little gift to all of us who've supported 'em and bought the movie and comic figures...

Enough jibba-jabba! Onto the Hell-borne goodness!

HELLBOY

ABE SAPIEN

JOHANN KRAUS (I LOVE this design! Reminds me of an old skool deep-sea diver!)

LIZ SHERMAN

MR. WINK (this dude's gonna be over 8" tall!)

PRINCE NUADA

http://mezcotoyz.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mezcotoyz

http://hellboymovie.com/

*Images by and courtesy of Mezco Toyz

A/V CLUB- Star Wars: The Clone Wars to debut theatrically!

2008-02-13T00:14:00.013-05:00

Lucasfilm has officially announced that its new animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars will debut in movie theatres across North America on August 15th, 2008 with an all-new feature-length CGI film!

The series, which will air in Fall 2008 on Cartoon Network and TNT, is set between the events of Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith and features fan-favorite characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Sidious, and the villainous cyborg General Grievous.

Check the bad-ass-ed-ness!:

Hi-res trailer:

http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000478.html

If that wasn't cool enough, Hasbro will be releasing a wave of figures based on characters from the 2-D Clone Wars shorts that aired on Cartoon Network a few years ago. Including General Obi-Wan Kenobi in clone armor and robe, "Snow Bunny" Padme, and SCUBA Clone Trooper (to name a few), the toys are rumored to be a blend of animated and realistic styles... more on that as it develops.

Official announcement:

http://starwars.com/theclonewars/news/announcement.html

http://starwars.com/

*Images by and courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars trailer originally from starwars.com, by and courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.
*Special thanks to Youtube and Youtube user halfpennyroh04 for posting the video!

PLASTIQUE- As you wish!

2008-02-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

NECA has released the first official photograph of The Dread Pirate Roberts (AKA Westley) from their line based on the classic 80s fairy tale The Princess Bride, and it's Cary Elwes-licious!

Princess Bride fans-- and Fred Savage-- can expect the first wave this Spring, but more details and images from the line should be available at Toy Fair this weekend. WOO-HOO!

http://necaonline.com/

http://www.myspace.com/necafans

*Image by and courtesy of NECA

PLASTIQUE- FIRST LOOK: Hellboy II figures!

2008-02-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

The first image of Mezco's Hellboy II: The Golden Army toys have surfaced on the Internets, and they look like worthy successors to the company's fantastic first line of Hellboy movie figures!

This time around, we're finally getting "realistic" versions of BPRD pyrokinetic Liz Sherman and the disembodied-- well, kinda-- paranormal investigator Johann Kraus!

Top row (left to right): Mr. Wink, Prince Nuada

Bottom row (left to right): Liz Sherman, Hellboy, Johann Kraus, Abe Sapien

Mezco's toys from the first Hellboy film are some of the best of the decade, and I'm looking forward to getting Johann and that big galloot Mr. Wink. I love his more mechanical version of the Right Hand of Doom. And he's a great big monster!

More (and better!) images should be available at Toy Fair, which is only a few days away!

http://mezcotoyz.com/

http://www.myspace.com/mezcotoyz

http://hellboymovie.com/

*Image courtesy Mezco Toyz

PLASTIQUE- Buck Rogers returns!

2008-02-08T15:34:00.000-05:00

Legendary comic strip and matinee serial hero Buck Rogers is back, bringing his 25th Century retro-future style to the 21st Century, courtesy of Go Hero!

The company has just announced plans to release a 12" Buck Rogers figure, complete with die-cast jet pack, functional visor, removable helmet, and a 1:6 scale version of his amazing Atomic Disintegrator pistol! If that wasn't cool enough, Go Hero will also put out a sparking, popping reproduction of Daisy's classic Atomic Disintegrator, originally released in the 1930s, but made famous by the Foo Fighters... you might remember it from the cover of their debut album...

No images of the Buck Rogers figure were available at press time, but will be posted as soon as they're released.

In the meantime, marvel at that bad-ass pistol and envision yourself fending off an alien horde from the Red Planet.

Or your cat.

http://www.gohero.com/

http://www.inthe25thcentury.com/

*Buck Rogers image by Lt. Dick Calkins, courtesy The John F. Dille Company/Big Little Books (http://www.biglittlebooks.com/)
*Atomic Disintegrator image by and courtesy of Go Hero

PLASTIQUE- SIDESHOW GETS THE GI JOE LICENSE!

2008-02-05T00:20:00.000-05:00

The biggest toy news released on Super Bowl Sunday?

It certainly had nothing to do with the Giants.

Sideshow Collectibles now has the license to produce a line of highly-detailed 12" GI Joe figures:

It's unknown whether the toys will be based on the upcoming movie or if these are high-quality renditions of the Real American Hero characters like Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, Destro, and the rest of (y)our 80s favorites.

Good thing Toy Fair '08 is only a few weeks away...

Hi-res version of the trailer:

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/behindtheshow/?page_id=4277

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/

*Trailer courtesy Sideshow Collectibles/Youtube
*Extra-special thanks to Watchmen86, who posted the Sideshow Joe trailer on Youtube!

PLASTIQUE- More Bertie the Pipebomb images!

2008-02-04T23:46:00.001-05:00

Ashley Wood has posted more pics of the Dirty Deeds and Desert Rat variants of his Bertie the Pipebomb figure!

Now with 100% more gear!

Dirty Deeds Bertie (with big-ass knife!)

Desert Rat Bertie (with rocket-propelled grenades!)

While it's hard to choose between the two, I'm really digging the Desert Rat version of Bertie... I don't know if I have the cash or room in my collection for one right now, but that's what action figure customizing is for, right? I could probably scrounge up the parts for a 4" version...

http://ashleybambaland.blogspot.com/

http://worldwarrobot.com/

http://www.bigshottoyworks.com/

*Images courtesy Ashley Wood/Big Shot Toyworks

A/V CLUB- You need more iron in your diet.

2008-02-01T15:38:00.000-05:00

Here's an image to to whet your appetites for the Iron Man trailer set to premiere during this Sunday's Super Bowl:

Everything I've seen so far has got me psyched to see this movie. It really looks like Favreau, Downey, and Co. did the characters justice rather than making a questionable comic book adaptation to cash in on the craze.

Iron Man hits theatres May 2nd, 2008.

http://www.ironmanmovie.com/

And just for fun...

*Iron Man image courtesy Marvel Films/Paramount
*1960s Iron Man cartoon opening courtesy Marvel Enterprises/Famous Studios/Grantray-Lawrence Animation/ARP Films/Genesis Entertainment/Krantz Films/Saban Entertainment

PLASTIQUE- CustomCon 19 announced!

2008-01-31T01:31:00.000-05:00

The Spring 2008 incarnation of CustomCon-- the now tri-annual, virtual customizing "convention"-- has been announced on the Internets!

Despite the name, CustomCon is not a real convention (like San Diego's legendary Comic-Con)... instead, it's an online show of the work of action figure customizers of all levels of experience and notoriety from around the globe to celebrate the art of customizing.

Do you make toys?

Are you interested?

Check out this press release with all the official guidelines:

"CustomCon 19

What is CustomCon, you ask? CustomCon is a special semi-annual presentation of new custom toy creations by customizers around the globe. Seven years in the running, it's still going strong. Inspired by the presentations of new product by legitimate manufacturers at Toy Fair and other trade shows, CustomCon is a "fake" convention, whereby customizers present their latest creations and recipes as if unveiling a new line of real toys to retailers. It's always a lot of fun, for both the viewers and the participants.

If this is your first exposure to a CustomCon, click here (http://www.toymania.com/custom/customcon.htm) to see what's been offered over the past 18 CustomCons.

EVENT DATES:
CustomCon 19 will run from April 7 to 11, 2008.

ENTRY DEADLINE:
The deadline will be Monday March 10th, 2008. No entries will be accepted after this date.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:
So how can you participate? Well, the key is to make several custom action figures that would be in the same toy line, and send in photos of them. You could make your own new wave of DC Direct figures (a current series), a new wave of Star Trek figures (a previous series). You can also make a line of Super-Duper Creep Busting figures! (That would be your own unique line.) You could make figures based on characters from Comics, Movies, TV Shows, Books, Sports, Sci-Fi... The sky's the limit!

1. Just make sure each group of figures shares a common theme. You should come up with a name for your line of figures if it's an original line, and give some sort of description of the action figure line.

2. Custom packaging is, of course, an option, but it is certainly not required.

3. If possible, we would ask that you photograph the figures so that it looks like they are on display at a convention. If you have custom packaging, it's best to have pictures both loose and in the packages.

4. There's no limit on how few customs you have to submit for a line. 4 or more would be appreciated, but any number is fine. So, YES if you only have 1 or 2 good figures, send them in!

5. The whole point of CustomCon is to show off your NEW custom creations, so please, no entries of pieces previously seen on websites, forums or in any sort of public gallery.

Ready to Submit your ENTRY?
Send your submissions to casimir@toymania.com. Please e-mail the following:

- Your first and last name, or just the nickname you go by online. Your preference.
- Your email address.
- Your custom figure website address, if you have one.
- The name of your figure line.
- Any custom logos you wish to use for your toyline. (OPTIONAL)
- E-mail me pictures of your figures. JPGs are preferred, scaled for screen. (7 inches high at 72 dpi is a good standard, or around 100 kb). Please make sure your images are ATTACHED to the email, NOT embedded. Remember to name your image files appropriately. You may know every X-Man ever created by sight, but we might not.
- A description of what they were made from (your toy recipe). Describe what figures you used to make your custom. Please type, or "copy & paste" this into an e-mail.
- A Description of the action figure line (convention write-up report).
- Write up your own "Press release" or "Toy Show Commentary" to describe your toyline. Please type, or "copy & paste" this into an e-mail."

For more information, please visit:

http://www.toymania.com/customcorner/cc19/index.shtml

*CustomCon logo and press release by and courtesy of Raving Toy Maniac/Caimir Pilliod:

http://www.toymania.com/
http://pilliod.net/

PLASTIQUE- Spawn Series 34: Spawn Classics photography!

2008-01-28T02:22:00.000-05:00

McFarlane Toys has revealed the latest series of their signature Spawn line, and they're bringing back some classic characters!

The 34th wave of Spawn, dubbed Spawn Classics, features new sculpts of fan-favorites like Pirate Spawn, Wings of Redemption Spawn, Poacher (!!!), and Manga Spawn, and is expected to hit stores in July.

No surprise here, but the sculpting is gorgeous on the majority of the figures. For me, Poacher is really the stand-out. They took everything that worked with the original and brought it up to today's standards. Oh, and check out that skull in his hand... looks a little like McFarlane's robotics-enhanced gorilla, Cy-Gor! Cool!

PIRATE SPAWN 2

WINGS OF REDEMPTION SPAWN 2

POACHER 2

MANGA SPAWN 2

For more info and images, please check out:

http://www.spawn.com/news/news2.aspx?id=13302

*Images by and courtesy of McFarlane Toys/spawn.com

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A START- American Dad vs. Family Guy!

2008-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

Need to kill some time at work? Ever wonder what would happen if Peter Griffin fought the grey alien from American Dad? Wonder no more!

After paying a visit to The Alchemist (nudge nudge, wink wink), check out the hilarious flash-based online video game American Dad vs. Family Guy: Kung Fu II Turbo! Hyper-Mega Edition!

It's fun.

It's free.

It's the best thing since Internet mail-order brides!

http://www.americandadvsfamilyguy.com/

*Image and game courtesy FOX

PLASTIQUE- Stuck in the middle with you...

2008-01-26T02:54:00.001-05:00

Not too long ago, expert 12" figure-makers Sideshow Collectibles revealed that they had the license for Quentin Tarantino's cult classic Reservoir Dogs-- now not only is Sideshow giving us an up-close look at the first three figures, they've got 'em up for pre-order!

As with many of their figures, Sideshow will offer standard editions and exclusive editions, which come with extra goodies.

The Sideshow Exclusive Mr. Orange comes with an extra bloody dress shirt, Mr. White arrives with his address book, and what Mr. Blonde toy would be complete without the infamous severed ear?

Look for the guys to ship 2nd Quarter 2008 and retail for $59.99 for the exclusive, limited editions. No prices for the standard figures are currently available.

Mr. Blonde:

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=52061&source=home_flashPreorder

Mr. Orange:

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=52051&source=home_flashPreorder

Mr. White:

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=52041&source=upsell

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/

*Images by and courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles

A/V CLUB- There's a snake in my boot! In 3-D!

2008-01-26T02:38:00.000-05:00

Pixar is hard at work on the newest installment of their beloved Toy Story franchise, and this time, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys will be in 3-D!

What could possibly be cooler than that?

How 'bout Pixar and Disney re-releasing the first and second films ALSO in 3-D!

Take it away, official Disney press release!:

"TOY STORY TRIO GOES 3-D

Burbank, CA – January 24, 2008 - The Walt Disney Studios is taking the latest advances in digital 3-D technology “to infinity and beyond” with ambitious plans to debut new Disney Digital 3-D™ versions of Disney- Pixar’s “Toy Story” on October 2nd, 2009, and “Toy Story 2” on February 12th, 2010, it was announced by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. Both of these beloved animated features are being newly converted to 3-D in advance of the June 18th, 2010 release of Disney-Pixar's "Toy Story 3," which is being produced as a 3-D motion picture and will represent the state-of-the-art for the genre. Veteran Pixar filmmaker Lee Unkrich (co-director “Toy Story 2”) is directing.

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker John Lasseter (director of the first two “Toy Story” films and chief creative officer for Disney and Pixar Animation Studios) will personally oversee the creative side of the 3-D conversions for “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” with his acclaimed team of technical wizards handling all the necessary steps in the conversion process.

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “‘We are committed to bringing moviegoers the best and most exciting 3-D movie experience, and we think they’re going to love seeing Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and all the wonderful ‘Toy Story’ cast of characters in an eye popping and dazzling way. John Lasseter and the animation team are putting all their passion and hard work into making this the greatest 3-D experience yet, and we’re excited to share their efforts with audiences everywhere.”

Lasseter added, “The ‘Toy Story’ films and characters will always hold a very special place in our hearts and we’re so excited to be bringing this landmark film back for audiences to enjoy in a whole new way thanks to the latest in 3-D technology. I am sure that this is going to be nothing short of fantastic and people are going to be blown away by the experience. With ‘Toy Story 3’ shaping up to be another great adventure for Buzz, Woody and the gang from Andy’s room, we thought it would be great to let audiences experience the first two films all over again and in a brand new way. 3-D offers lots of great new possibilities for the art of animation and we will continue to use this new technology to tell our stories in the best possible way.”

In converting “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” to state-of-the-art 3-D films, the technical team is retrieving all of the original digital elements and rebuilding them in 3-D.

Originally released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1995, “Toy Story” was the first feature film from Pixar Animation Studios and director John Lasseter. The film went on to receive Oscar® nominations for Original Score, Original Song, and Screenplay, and earned Lasseter a Special Achievement Award “for the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film.” “Toy Story 2” was released in 1999, and reunited voice talents Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, in their roles as Woody and Buzz. The film became one of the most popular animated features of all time, and received an Academy Award® nomination for Original Song."

I'm absolutely thrilled that I'll get the chance to see the first two Toy Story movies on the big screen again! They've always been my favorite Pixar films, and have been extremely influential on my own creative work... though I was always more like the demented toy-mangler Sid than the kind-hearted Andy...

http://www.pixar.com/

http://disney.go.com/index

*Image courtesy Pixar/Disney

PLASTIQUE- Cloverfield monster's coming... from Hasbro?!?

2008-01-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ever since Cloverfield director Matt Reeves let it slip in an interview that there would be an action figure of the creature that lays waste to New York, fans and collectors have been wondering just who had the license... McFarlane? NECA? Mezco?

Needless to say, they were all stunned when this new listing popped up on Hasbro's online store:

http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/ProductsByBrand.htm?BR=863&ID=21030

Coming this September, the Cloverfield Movie Monster is exclusive to hasbrotoyshop.com and will retail for $99.99.

As per the website, here are the figure's specs:

-70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail
-Authentic sound
-14” tall
-10 parasites
-Two interchangeable heads
-Statue of Liberty head accessory
-Special Cloverfield collector’s edition packaging

Hasbro is accepting pre-orders right now, though no images are currently available...

Until we see some pics, I don't really know what to think. I was expecting either McFarlane or NECA to put Cloverfield toys out, since their core audience is the same as the film's: adults. Given McFarlane's history with Cloverfield producer JJ Abrams and the LOST license, I thought they'd be a lock.

While Hasbro's offering will be well-articulated and, more than likely well-sculpted, I'm a little worried about the paint. They've never been generous with their applications, and I'm afraid this figure will be more of the same. For a hundred bucks, it really shouldn't require a repaint.

*Cloverfield poster courtesy Bad Robot/Paramount

PLASTIQUE- COWABUNGA!

2008-01-20T02:13:00.000-05:00

Break out the pizza!

New images have surfaced online of NECA's upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they look AWESOME!

Slated for an April 2008 release, Leonardo, Donatello,Raphael, and Michaelangelo will be available as a boxed set retailing for between $50 and $60 (depending where you order from).

They look like they were pulled right out of the comics, and I really love how each Turtle's personality is reflected in his face-- check out Mike's dopey grin!

I hope that the final figures look as good as the prototypes, 'cuz they're just about perfect.

Best. X-Men. New Mutants. 80s Comics. Spoof. Toys. Ever.!!!!!!

http://necaonline.com/

http://myspace.com/necafans

*Images by and courtesy of NECA

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A START- BIONIC COMMANDO RETURNS!

2008-01-19T00:52:00.000-05:00

Capcom has released the official trailer for the Next-Gen version of the classic Nintendo game Bionic Commando, and it looks fucking amazing!:

Here's the game overview straight from http://www.bioniccommando.com/:

"Classic side-scrolling gameplay is reporting back for duty with Bionic Commando Rearmed, a remake of the classic NES game, coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation® Network and PC in spring 2008.

20 years after the 8-bit classic was released, Bionic Commando Rearmed recreates the world of the original with a complete "2.5D" visual revamp. Bionic Commando Rearmed preserves the original's mix of swinging and shooting in an intense 2D side-scroller, all to the tune of a brand-new soundtrack based on the classic 8-bit music from the NES masterpiece,

But Rearmed is far more than just a remake - it features all-new modes such as the 2-player co-op play, smarter enemy AI, new bionic arm abilities, new weapons, bigger bosses and online rankings. Faithfully sticking to the story of the NES game, Bionic Commando Rearmed tells the story of Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer's first mission, sent in to retrieve captured agent Super Joe from the hands of the Imperials. Fans of the original story can expect to see all the characters from the NES version, as well as the memorable moments that made the title so popular with fans. Rearmed will also link-up to its 3D "big brother" coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, with unlockable content, in-game hints and a story that spans both games.

Game Features:

-Classic Bionic Commando side-scrolling gameplay, updated with new abilities, weapons and bosses

-2-player co-op mode

-Total modern visual and audio revamp

-Cross-game interoperability - complete specific parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed to unlock new content and hints for the

-Bionic Commando sequel

-In-game art designed by one of Capcom's most talented artists, Toshiaki Mori"

While I wasn't a huge gamer back in the day, I always loved NES games like Bionic Commando, Master Blaster, and Castlevania-- y'know, the characters who never quite got the same love that Mario, Luigi, and Link received. Metroid had a kick-ass update, and I'm glad that Bionic Commando will get the chance to be as cool as it always had the potential to be.

Hi-Res trailer here:

http://www.bioniccommando.com/us/pages/BCR_Movies

*Bionic Commando Rearmed trailer, game overview, and images courtesy Capcom

PLASTIQUE- GI JOE WAVE 7 REVEALED!

2008-01-18T02:52:00.000-05:00

Rumor spread like wildfire in the GI Joe community that Hasbro would debut images of the seventh wave of the 25th Anniversary single packs tonight-- and the tip paid off!

There were a couple of surprises: "Snake Eyes version 4" actually turned out to be Snake Eyes version 3 (complete with knives across his chest!) and Major Bludd ended up being a no-show. Early word is that the now twice-delayed Bludd will be released as a part of Wave 8.

SNAKE EYES

VIPER

WILD BILL

SPIRIT

DUKE (with jetpack)

HISS DRIVER

I'll probably skip Duke and the HISS Driver, but all in all, this series is really strong. I'm really happy to see a classic character like Spirit joining the ranks sooner rather than later, and hopefully we'll see updates of other favorites like Bazooka, Barbeque, Alpine, Hit & Run, Tunnel Rat, Low Light...

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/

*Images by and courtesy of Hasbro

PLASTIQUE- Gears of War preview!

2008-01-18T02:40:00.001-05:00

NECA has given Gears of War fans a teaser of their upcoming Marcus Fenix sculpt, and it looks fantastic!

Hitting stores this Spring, the first wave of Gears of War is slated to include game protagonist Marcus Fenix, Augustus Cole, and the enemy Locust Drone. In a press release, NECA promised that the GoW figures will feature "an unprecedented amount of detail, extensive articulation, and game-accurate accessories," and hope they'll "appeal to the most dedicated Gears of War players, as well as action figure collectors in general."

http://www.necaonline.com/

*Images by and courtesy of NECA

A/V CLUB- Justice League defeated?

2008-01-18T02:20:00.001-05:00

Film industry bible Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has allowed the options to lapse on the cast of George Miller's Justice League feature film, indicating that the production is postponed indefinitely.

The studio cited an inability to secure tax breaks for shooting in Australia and the impossibility of having the script polished in time to begin production due to the writer's strike as reasons why the film is no longer proceeding. At this point, the soonest Justice League could shoot is late summer or fall, if at all.

The whole time Justice League news was breaking, the one project I kept thinking about was Batman vs. Superman, a long-in-development comic adaptation that was also this close to being made. While the project never got as far as casting, Wolfgang Petersen was to direct the film, based on a script by Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker. The movie looked to be a go until it was shelved at the last second and Warners decided to start new Batman and Superman franchises before crossing the characters over.

Maybe Justice League being stuck in limbo is the best thing for the moment... I'd be lying if I said I didn't want Christian Bale to play Batman in the JL movie. Maybe now that'll be able to happen.

Original Variety story here:

http://www.variety.com/VR1117979189.html

*Justice League image by and courtesy of Alex Ross/http://www.alexrossart.com/

PLASTIQUE- Dirty Deeds Bertie packaging preview!

2008-01-16T00:28:00.000-05:00

Ashley Wood has given fans their first look at the packaging art for his upcoming World War Robots "Dirty Deeds" Bertie figure, and it's Woodalicious!

Er...

Mr. Wood is no stranger to cool-ass package artwork-- he provided paintings for the Bramble statue, from the short-lived World's Best Robots line put out by HyperChild. Most recently, though, he recreated the covers to GI Joe #1 and GI Joe #21 (AKA The Silent Issue) for the first wave of Hasbro's 25th Anniversary comic packs.

...For those suffering from amnesia, here's a pic of Bertie:

*Images courtesy Ashley Wood

PLASTIQUE- GI Joe 25th Anniversary Wave 7 announced!

2008-01-15T17:04:00.000-05:00

One of The Alchemist's favorite online toy stores, Big Bad Toy Store (http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/) has revealed the line-up of the seventh wave of Hasbro's 25th Anniversary GI Joe action figures. Some were already confirmed (Wild Bill, Major Bludd), others rumored (Viper), and some just kinda came out of left field (Snake Eyes version 4, Duke with jetpack).

Just goes to show you that Hasbro meant it when they said any character from the last 25 years would be eligible for a remake... especially if it's Snake Eyes.

According to BBTS, the case pack-out will be as follows:

2X Cobra Viper
1X Wild Bill, Major Bludd, Duke with Jetpack, HISS Driver, Spirit Iron-Knife and Snake-Eyes V4.

DUKE (with jetpack)

VIPER

SNAKE EYES

MAJOR BLUDD

SPIRIT (AKA Spirit Iron-Knife)

WILD BILL

HISS DRIVER

*HISS Driver, Spirit, Snake Eyes, and Viper images by and courtesy of http://www.yojoe.com
*Major Bludd image courtesy http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/
*Wild Bill image courtesy http://www.action-squad.com/

PLASTIQUE- HALO SERIES 2 PHOTOGRAPHY AND SPECS!

2008-01-15T01:26:00.000-05:00

After previewing the Arbiter from their second series of Halo action figures a couple weeks back, McFarlane Toys has released images of the rest of the line AND their specifications!

Not only will McFarlane's Halo toys be among the most detailed the company has ever produced, they'll also be the most articulated! Check out those specs! We're only a couple weeks into 2008, and we've already got a front-runner for one of the best lines of the year!

Get your wallets ready, kids. Halo Series 2 will hit shelves in June!

MASTER CHIEF

-18 points of articulation
-2 weapons, interchangeable between figures
-Removable helmet, chest and shoulder armor
-Weapon storage capability on back and right thigh

SPARTAN EVA (WHITE)

SPARTAN CQB (RED)

SPARTAN SCOUT (TAN)

Armor Variations:

EOD, Scout, ODST, Mark VI, EVA, CQB

-18 points of articulation
-2 weapons, interchangeable between figures
-Interchangeable helmet, chest and shoulder armor
-Weapon storage capability on back and right thigh

Color variations:

CQB Red - Available at all retailers
EVA White - Available at specialty stores only
Scout Tan - Available at all retailers
EOD Olive - Available at all retailers
ODST Cyan - Wal-Mart Exclusive
EOD Blue- Wal-Mart Exclusive
EVA Brown - Toys 'R' Us Exclusive
ODST Steel - GameStop Exclusive
Mark VI Gold - Transworld Exclusive

ODST (ORBITAL DROP SHOCK TROOPER)

-18 points of articulation
-Weapon: Battle rifle

BRUTE STALKER

-15 points of articulation
-Weapon storage on back
-Weapon: Spike rifle and carbine

DRONE

-12 points of articulation
-Wings fold up and down
-Weapon: Plasma pistol

ARBITER

-Weapons: Energy sword and carbine rifle
-18 points of articulation
-Weapon storage capability: On leg and back

Official Halo Series 2 news story (with more pics!):

http://www.spawn.com/news/news2.aspx?id=13289

McFarlane Toys' site:

http://www.spawn.com/

*All images by and courtesy of McFarlane Toys

PLASTIQUE- GI Joe 25th Anniversary Wave 4 comic packs!

2008-01-10T17:36:00.000-05:00

When it rains, it pours!

Hasbro has released these new images of their upcoming fourth wave of comic book two packs, this time featuring Firefly & Storm Shadow, Copperhead & Shipwreck, and Duke & Red Star!

FIREFLY & STORM SHADOW

COPPERHEAD & SHIPWRECK

DUKE & RED STAR

Firefly looks like he's rocking an urban combat outfit-- I can see that figure and gear being reworked into GI Joe's resident SWAT officer, Shockwave.

Storm Shadow kinda has a Devil's Due re-design thing happening, except bare-chested... er... I see A LOT of customs being done with the previous versions of the character to get a more accurate DD-style Storm Shadow, since the bare torso looks pretty ridiculous.

It's awesome to see a 25th-style Copperhead, and how easy would it be to turn that Shipwreck into a 25th Cutter (the Joe hovercraft pilot, not some emo jerk-off)? Oktober Guard fans are going to freak when they see Red Star, though I've never been a huge fan of the character or his military unit, who are kinda like the Russian version of GI Joe.

...And Duke's still a douchebag.

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/

*Images by and courtesy of Hasbro

*This is another one for my brosef Brian S. Jacobson, Esquire!

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A START- Vader and Yoda join Soul Calibur IV?!?

2008-01-10T17:13:00.000-05:00

Namco has revealed the identities of the two newest fighters in the latest installment of their Soul Calibur series-- DARTH VADER AND YODA!

The Dark Lord of the Sith himself will make an appearance in the PS3 version of the game, while the diminutive Jedi master will be exclusive to the XBox 360.

Gamers may ask what the hell the two iconic movie characters have anything to do with the legendary fighting game... the answer is nothing! But they're not any more or less weird than 90s has-been hero Spawn or Nintendo's favorite elven adventurer Link.

Star Wars fans will ask how any normal human warrior armed with conventional weapons could even touch Vader or Yoda. It's hard to put up a fight when you've had your windpipe crushed by a Force choke.

http://soulcalibur.com/

*Image courtesy Namco

*PS- Be sure to visit the official Soul Calibur site to see the hi-res teaser for SCIV!

PLASTIQUE- Dirty Deeds Bertie preview!

2008-01-10T16:50:00.000-05:00

Illustrator/artist/toy designer extraordinaire Ashley Wood posted his first blog entry of the New Year, and boy, did he make it count! He gave fans a sneak-peek at the "Dirty Deeds" variant of his robot, Bertie, and assured them that it was "also the production version, not fake ass special sucker the punters red herring."

Oh, those Australians and their colloquialisms!

Please keep in mind that when Bertie is released this year, the figure will stand 14" and come armed to the teeth, with a military-style web belt and rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Check out Mr. Wood's official site here:

http://ashleybambaland.blogspot.com/

*Image courtesy Ashley Wood

PLASTIQUE- FIRST LOOK: 6" Dark Knight Batman figure!

2008-01-08T03:48:00.000-05:00

Check out this 6" Four Horsemen-sculpted Batman from Mattel's upcoming Movie Masters line!

Movie Masters will be separate from the standard Dark Knight movie line and will focus more on premium sculpting and articulation than gimmicks aimed at kids. Even cooler? It'll be in scale with the DC Universe toys Mattel is currently producing, so there won't be any weird height issues *COUGH*DCDIRECT*COUGH*!

Mattel has confirmed that there are currently six Movie Masters figures planned to coincide with the new Batman film, but have not announced who the other characters will be. The Joker is a safe bet, and I don't think that Scarecrow or Ra's al Ghul are too much of a stretch.

Guess we'll find out next month at Toy Fair!

*Image by and courtesy of Mattel

PLASTIQUE- Better GI Joe wave 6 images!

2008-01-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

Hasbro has released new images of their upcoming sixth wave of 25th Anniversary GI Joes, which is scheduled to include Navy SEAL Torpedo, Cobra Commander in his crazy-ass battle togs, and heavy machine gunner Rock 'N Roll, which should please fans of the "Original 13" 1982 figures.

Joe helicopter pilot Wild Bill and cyborg Cobra mercenary Major Bludd were originally slated for this series, but were pushed back to later in the year. But I digress...

TORPEDO

COBRA COMMANDER (Battle Armor)

ROCK 'N ROLL

Loving that Torpedo! He was one of my favorite characters on the cartoon, and I hope they make his buddy/partner-in-crime-fighting Deep Six in the 25th line. His big, clunky suit would be bad-ass with some articulation!

Look for Torpedo, Rock 'N Roll, and the Commander in stores soon (like, late January-early February soon), along with the first couple waves of the new comic book 2-packs!

*Images by and courtesy of Hasbro

*The Alchemist would like to make a shout-out to Brian S. Jacobson, Esquire-- what's up, brosef?

A/V CLUB- DARK KNIGHT PREQUEL?!?

2008-01-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what happened after the events of Batman Begins, when the inmates of Arkham Asylum were set loose on The Narrows and The Joker began his reign of terror?

Wonder no more!

This summer, Warner Bros. will release the direct-to-video animated film Batman: Gotham Knight, set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but instead of a traditional narrative, the movie will be divided into six separate segments, each written and directed by a different creative team. The screenwriters include comic vets Brian Azzarello (of the Broken City arc that ran in Batman #620-625) and regular DC Comics scribe Greg Rucka, as well as Batman Begins' David Goyer, and Alan Burnett, of the critically-acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, and Batman Beyond.

The animation studios handling the project (Production I.G., Studio 4C and Madhouse) are some of the best in the world, and are responsible for classic animes like Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, and Steamboy.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight star Christian Bale is believed to be providing his voice to the film, and it is rumored that Paprika and Perfect Blue director Satoshi Kon will helm one of the vignettes.

Batman: Gotham Knight is expected hit hit shelves some time before The Dark Knight's July release date... more on this story as it develops.

*Image courtesy Warner Bros.

PLASTIQUE- 2007 POPPIES NOMINATIONS GO LIVE!

2008-01-05T01:51:00.000-05:00

For years OG online toy reviewer Michael Crawford has given toy collectors the opportunity to voice their opinions on the best and worst figures of the year via his official site. This year, the idea has evolved into the Poppies-- a celebration of pop culture collectibles, including toys, statues, and miscellany that blurs the line between the two (like Sideshow's Premium Format offerings)-- presided over by Crawford and an all-star list of industry professionals, artists, retailers, and webmasters!

To check out all the nominees (and vote!), visit Michael's place:

http://www.mwctoys.com/

For more info on the Poppies, check out:

http://www.mwctoys.com/poppies_intro_2007.htm

http://www.mwctoys.com/poppies_judges_2007.htm

http://www.mwctoys.com/poppies_noms_2007.htm

*Poppies logo courtesy Michael Crawford/www.mwctoys.com

PLASTIQUE- New 2008 Star Wars Battle Packs & Evolutions sets!

2008-01-05T01:27:00.000-05:00

We're just a few days into the new year and Hasbro is already showing off some of their brand-new 2008 offerings, including Battle on Mygeeto and Hoth Speeder Bike Patrol, from Hasbro's crazy-popular army-building line of Battle Packs, and the return of the Evolutions boxed sets!

BATTLE ON MYGEETO (that crazy ice/snow planet from the end of Revenge of the Sith)

HOTH SPEEDER BIKE PATROL (that crazy ice/snow planet from the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back)

EVOLUTIONS: THE FETT LEGACY

EVOLUTIONS: THE JEDI LEGACY

EVOLUTIONS: THE SITH LEGACY

EVOLUTIONS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED

There are some great super-poseable figures slated for this year-- just look at Jango Fett and bad-ass bounty hunter Boba Fett in his Empire Srikes Back color scheme! The Sith pack also looks rad, even though that one Sith Lord looks like his helmet is a giant gummi bear. And the more I see Hasbro's Force Unleashed video game-based figures, the more I dig them.

From what has been leaked online, these toys will be just the tip of the iceberg. If you thought 2007 was an amazing year for Star Wars (or just toys in general), you ain't seen nothin' yet!

http://hasbro.com/starwars/

*Images by and courtesy of Hasbro

NOISE- Smashing Pumpkins' new EP out NOW!

2008-01-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

Smashing Pumpkins' acoustic "EP" American Gothic is for sale right now on the iTunes Music Store, either as a part of a deluxe edition of their 2007 album Zeitgeist, or as individual tracks.

American Gothic features four new songs that were recorded between tours for Zeitgeist, including "Sunkissed," "Pox," "Again, Again, Again," and "Rose March," which was a staple of Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan's solo tour setlist and a rumored favorite of Who guitarist/singer Pete Townshend.

For Pumpkins fans who weren't into Zeitgeist's heavy metal-goth sound, the EP will be a welcome change. The majority of the new tracks bring to mind outtakes from the Mellon Collie or MACHINA eras. "Rose March" is a standout, with a great acoustic guitar/tambourine groove that kinda reminds me of something off of the early Pumpkins B-sides collection Pisces Iscariot.

Pumpkinheads should definitely check this one out.

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

*American Gothic cover image courtesy Smashing Pumpkins

A/V CLUB- VANITY FAIR COVERS INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL!

2008-01-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

February's Vanity Fair features an in-depth exclusive article about the Indiana Jones sequel 20 years in the making. The write-up also includes never-before-seen images by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who also shot the cast and crew of George Lucas's Star Wars prequels in similar articles that ran in the magazine prior to their release.

Does it get better?

Sure.

You can check out the whole shebang (AND exclusive Q&As with Spielberg and Lucas!) for free at Vanity Fair's website:

http://www.vanityfair.com/

Direct link to the Indy article:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/02/indianajones200802

*Vanity Fair cover image by Annie Leibovitz, courtesy Vanity Fair.

PLASTIQUE- 25th Anniversary Wild Bill REVEALED!

2007-12-31T19:20:00.000-05:00

Canadian GI Joe site http://www.joecanuck.com/ has obtained images of venerable GI Joe pilot Wild Bill, who always seemed like a crazed hillbilly daredevil on the old cartoon... anyway, Bill looks great!

The pics were leaked from the Master Collector newsletter, which only goes to show that you can't underestimate the power of the Internet and rabid Joe fanboys looking for any scrap of information... anyone else think that Hasbro could combine Wild Bill's head and Roadblock's body to make a new 25th-style Sgt. Slaughter?

*Images by Hasbro, courtesy http://www.joecanuck.com/ and Master Collector (http://mastercollector.com/)

*The Alchemist would like to give a shout-out to Brian S. Jacobson, Esquire! Thanks for reading, brosef!

PLASTIQUE- More 2008 Revoltechs!

2007-12-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

After weeks and weeks of cool stuff, it looks like the end of the year has brought a news drought-- but Kaiyodo's Revoltechs are here to save the (slow news) day!

BLACK OX

Due in February is classic manga and anime mech Black Ox, from Mitsuteru Yokoyama's late 50s/early 60s comics and cartoons. He'll come loaded with articulation and extra sets of interchangeable goodies like heads and hands... I REALLY love the simplicity of this guy's design, and he looks super-sleek with that black paint job.

TYPE-J9 GRIFFON (Aqua-Unit)

Type-J9 Griffon, also slated for February, is another Revoltech based on the action anime Patlabor. He's a bad-ass robot piloted by Bud Renard, a teenager from India. Like Black Ox and the other Revoltechs, the Griffon will feature tons of articulation crammed into his 5.5" frame and lots of cool accessories!

*Images courtesy Kaiyodo

A/V CLUB- HELLBOY 2 TEASER TRAILER ONLINE!

2007-12-20T17:05:00.001-05:00

Christmas has come a few days early for Hellboy fans with this first look at the new film Hellboy II: The Golden Army!

Oh, and did I mention a crapload of awesome-ass movie stills?!?

http://hellboymovie.com/

*Trailer courtesy Universal/Myspace
*Images courtesy Universal

PLASTIQUE- New 25th GI Joe confirmations from Hasbro!

2007-12-20T16:12:00.000-05:00

This week, Hasbro gave GI Joe collectors some major holiday gifts by officially confirming a number of long-rumored characters slated for their 25th Anniversary toy line, including Cobra mercenary Major Bludd, Joe martial arts expert Quick Kick, crazed hillbilly Joe pilot Wild Bill, and Cobra's robot soldier, the Battle Android Trooper (The Alchemist's favorite GI Joe figure back in the day)!

Hasbro also confirmed that new versions of Cobra emperor Serpentor and foxy Joe operatives Scarlett and Lady Jaye would appear sometime in 2008.

The statements were made in the December installment of Hasbro's bi-monthly Q&A session with fans, where collectors submit their questions to the company via various Joe-related websites. For a round-up of all the answers, check out General Hawk's fantastic site:

http://generalsjoes.com/qanda.html

Go for the Q&As, stay for the amazing original figure comics!

MAJOR BLUDD

QUICK KICK

WILD BILL

BATTLE ANDROID TROOPER (B.A.T.)

*Major Bludd image courtesy http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/
*Quick Kick and Wild Bill images courtesy http://www.action-squad.com/
*B.A.T. image courtesy http://yojoe.com/

A/V CLUB- "Nothing. No name, no other alias. Clothing is custom. Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint."

2007-12-16T23:09:00.000-05:00

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE DARK KNIGHT TRAILER:

AMAZING.

What else needs to be said?

Hi-res versions here: http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

*Trailer courtesy Warner Bros. & Youtube

A/V CLUB- WHY SO SERIOUS? THERE'S ANOTHER DARK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL POSTER!

2007-12-14T16:13:00.000-05:00

Check out this perfect compliment to yesterday's Dark Knight poster (which featured ol' Batsy himself)... this time, the main attraction is Heath Ledger's deranged Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker!:

Love that knife!

An official trailer has leaked online, shot in the theatre bootlegger-style... while it was pulled from Youtube, I'm sure that by playing a bit of Dark Knight Detective yourself, you'll be able to find a copy either on Myspace Videos or Google Videos... that's how I saw it.

I don't want to spoil anything, but you do get to see the new Bat-Cycle in action, and lots and lots of Joker goodness, including his laugh and a chilling sequence where... well, that would be giving away too much, wouldn't it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

If you're the patient kind, rumor has it that the trailer will premiere online here on Sunday:

http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

*Image courtesy Warner Bros.

PS- THE ALCHEMIST WOULD LIKE TO WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BEST FRIEND AND BROTHER EDUARDO STRANGE! CHEERS, BROSEF!

A/V CLUB- THE DARK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL POSTER!

2007-12-13T23:57:00.000-05:00

I love this image. Almost looks like it was painted by Alex Ross.

It's really gorgeous, but is also a commentary on Batman's obsession with his war on crime-- Gotham is his city, and he can watch it with unlimited access from one of Bruce Wayne's skyscrapers. Nothing can stop him.

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

*Image courtesy Warner Bros.

PLASTIQUE- Is this possible? GI Joe 25th Anniversary line gets even cooler...

2007-12-11T17:24:00.000-05:00

News broke of Wave 3 of Hasbro's 25th Anniversary comic packs last week, but what good is a story if you don't have any pictures?

The Big H finally delivered those images, and they were worth the wait:

TOMAX & XAMOT (The Crimson Twins)

WILD WEASEL & ACE

CRIMSON GUARD & COBRA OFFICER (scarred!)

BATTLE-DAMAGED SNAKE-EYES & STORM SHADOW

TOMAX & XAMOT!

SCARFACE!

Some extremely cool figures for the fans this wave, but the real stand-outs are Wild Weasel and Ace. The Cobra pilot was always one of my all-time favorite toys from the original Real American Hero line-- I spent many an afternoon playing with the Rattler in my front yard, dropping bombs on my Joe team-- and Ace looks fantastic. Check out all the detail on their flight suits! Wild Weasel even has the maps on his upper legs!

Oh, and I'm glad the designers kept Ace's bubble helmet rather than going with a modern helmet/mask combo. He looks ready to fly anything, whether it's a Skystriker or the Defiant space shuttle...

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/

http://gijoeclub.com/

*Images by Hasbro, courtesy of Hasbro and gijoeclub.com-- I WILL POST BETTER PICS WHEN I CAN FIND THEM.

*SHOUT-OUT TO BRIAN S. JACOBSON, ESQUIRE-- thanks for always being a fan, dude!

A/V CLUB- STRUZAN INDIANA JONES POSTER.

2007-12-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

The Drew Struzan Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull poster.

Now the movie seems real.

http://drewstruzan.com/

http://www.indianajones.com/

*Poster image by Drew Struzan, courtesy of Mr. Struzan, Paramount, Amblin and Lucasfilm

PLASTIQUE- McFarlane Toys' Legend of the Bladehunters series 1

2007-12-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

McFarlane Toys may be ending their uber-popular in-house Dragons line, but fret not, sword & sorcery fans-- they've expanded the Dragons concept into a full-blown fantasy line, slated for February 2008!

OGRE

ETERNAL DRAGON

BASILISK

KING DRAKKO (boxed set)

TYR (dragon rider)

After a couple sketchy years where the company relied on hit-or-miss licenses, it's really cool to see McFarlane going back to the in-house properties that solidified them as an industry leader.

For more images, check out:

http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=387

*Images by and courtesy of McFarlane Toys

A/V CLUB- Bruce Wayne & Tony Stark- Cinelive cover boys!

2007-12-10T14:31:00.000-05:00

Break out your Muzzy videos, kids-- spankin' new images of both Batman and Iron Man have made their debut in the French film publication Cinelive:

What's with the Dark Knight's new duds? Apparently it's his "riot gear".

That's the kind of prepubescent fury Hannah Montana incites when she arrives in Gotham city and the criminal underworld has bought up all the tickets to scalp...

http://cinelive.com/

*Images courtesy Cinelive
*Video courtesy BBC/RetroJunk.com/youtube.com

PS-

A/V CLUB- GO, SPEED RACER, GO!

2007-12-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

The first trailer for Warner Bros.' Speed Racer has hit the 'Net, and it's like a toy commercial, candy, and a video game had a three-way-- while on acid!

CLICK FOR CHIM-CHIM AND SPRITLE TRUNK ACTION:

I really like that The Wachowski Brothers didn't try to "modernize" or re-interpret the world of the Speed Racer cartoon. They didn't try to set it in the real world, or make the characters look more realistic... instead, they shot most of the movie on green screen soundstages and filled the screen with mind-bending shit like this:

It's exactly what a live-action adaptation of a high-energy Japanese anime should be, and while it ain't gonna be deep, it's gonna be a shitload of fun.

The effects still look a little rough, and some of the environments look straight out of Mario Kart, but hopefully that's all fixed by the time this thing opens in May 2008.

http://speedracerthemovie.warnerbros.com/

*Trailer and image courtesy Warner Bros.

A/V CLUB- Hellboy teaser poster images!

2007-12-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

The Hellboy movie site recently unveiled these teaser posters, only slowly and methodically over the course of a week-- screw that!

This one's for you instant-gratification types:

http://www.hellboymovie.com/

*Images courtesy Universal

NOISE- New Video Alert: Radiohead's "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"

2007-12-05T01:59:00.000-05:00

Radiohead has made some strange videos over the course of their career, but this one, for "Jigsaw Falling Into Place," from their new album IN RAINBOWS just might take the cake.

Three words: BICYCLE HELMET CAMS!

Contrary to the tone of this post, "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" is one of The Alchemist's favorite tracks off of IN RAINBOWS, and considers the album to be Radiohead's best since OK Computer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLJJRIWCLU

http://www.inrainbows.com/

http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/

*Video courtesy Radiohead

*SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO ALCHEMIST & RADIOHEAD FAN BRIAN S. JACOBSON, ESQUIRE!

A/V CLUB- New Iron Man pic!

2007-12-05T00:51:00.000-05:00

Man, that Stan Winston-built Iron Man suit is a beauty, isn't it?

And because the holidays are upon us, another little present to stuff your stocking:

If that wasn't enough of the cat's pajamas for you, how 'bout this latest rumor making rounds on the Internets: Samuel L. Jackson has not only supposedly filmed a cameo role as Marvel bad-ass superspy Nick Fury in Iron Man, but he will also reprise the character in The Incredible Hulk... is Mr. Fury assembling The Avengers? More importantly, is the story true?

Looks like we're gonna have to wait and find out.

http://www.ironmanmovie.com/

*Image and trailer courtesy Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios

A/V CLUB- DARK KNIGHT TEASER POSTER!

2007-12-04T19:40:00.000-05:00

Cool design. I especially like how it's a play on The Joker's vandalism, as well as the way the bat symbol was worked in.

Glad they didn't go with something predictable, like a deck of cards, or do something goofy. I love how grimy and dark the image is-- totally in line with everything we've seen of Ledger's Joker.

http://www.whysoserious.com/

A/V CLUB- A movie geek wet dream... kinda.

2007-12-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

The premise is riveting-- What if three-and-a-half pages from a lost Alfred Hitchcock script had been found and archived by fellow film legend Martin Scorsese? What if Scorsese then took those pages and filmed them in the style of Hitchcock himself, duplicating his shots, and even using a Bernard Herrmann score?

See the astonishing results for yourself:

...Okay, maybe the script isn't real, and it's actually a very elaborate (and brilliant) wine commercial, but the idea of a lost Hitchcock script being made by Scorsese really is awesome.

And that ending is pretty funny, not to mention a nice homage to the work of Mr. Hitchcock.

http://www.scorsesefilmfreixenet.com/video_eng.htm

A/V CLUB- New promo shots of The Joker from The Dark Knight!

2007-12-03T00:16:00.000-05:00

Hot on the heels of Empire's awesome cover image, some great new full-body images of Heath Ledger's Joker have surfaced online, and I'm loving this take on the character.

He looks fucking nuts!

*Images courtesy Warner Bros.

PLASTIQUE- REVOLTECH GIGANTOR!

2007-11-30T03:17:00.000-05:00

Kaiyodo's Revoltech line is known for robot awesomeness, but in January '08, Japan's O.G. giant robot will finally make his debut when Gigantor himself joins the ranks of such iconic mecha as Giant Robo, Mazinger Z, and the Robotech Valkyries!

Created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, manga and anime star Gigantor-- he had the first giant robot show in Japan-- will celebrate his 50th birthday in 2008, and what better way to mark that milestone with a rockin' Revoltech figure? After all, they are some of the coolest toys of the last few years!

Joining him will be AV-98 Ingram 01, from the animated film Patlabor.

Both uber-poseable figures will include a variety of accessories, including interchangeable heads and hands, and, in the case of Ingram 01, an arsenal of weapons.

GIGANTOR (AKA Tetsujin No. 28)

AV-98 INGRAM 01 MOVIE VERSION

*Images courtesy Kaiyodo

PLASTIQUE- ...Where's the Vanilla Ice with "Ninja Rap" sound chip?

2007-11-30T01:14:00.000-05:00

COWABUNGA!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fansite The Fifth Turtle (http://the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com/) found this image of reptilian swordsman Leonardo (from NECA's upcoming comic-based TMNT line) in Previews, then leaked it for the world to see on the Internets!:

Tubular!

Keen-eyed Turtle fans will notice that Leo is rocking his comic-accurate red color, red-green color-blind collectors be damned!

Look for Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Alchemist sentimental favorite Raphael to come up from the sewers sometime next year.

http://www.necaonline.com/

www.myspace.com/necafans

...BECAUSE WE COULDN'T RESIST:

*Image courtesy NECA

*Video courtesy New Line Cinema/FOX

A/V CLUB- NEW INDIANA JONES PICS!

2007-11-28T01:32:00.000-05:00

After a relatively quiet few months, it looks like some stills have leaked from the new Indiana Jones!

Sure, they don't reveal much, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get all giddy when I saw Ford in the fedora and leather jacket again.

I'm also really digging that image of Dr. Jones and son together. In a weird way, you can see the resemblance... great job, random casting director person! Shia's gonna rock as Indy Jr.!

http://www.indianajones.com

*Images courtesy Paramount/Lucasfilm

A/V CLUB- DON'T YOU THINK THE JOKER LAUGHS AT YOU?

2007-11-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

Get a load of Empire magazine's newest cover boy:

The more I see Ledger's Joker, the more I like him in the role.

I love this incarnation of the character-- he totally sums up Christopher Nolan's take on the Bat-universe: dark, gritty, and grounded in reality. Instead of looking like a clown, he looks deranged, unpredictable, and scary.

Perfect.

http://www.empireonline.com/

*Image courtesy Empire Magazine

PLASTIQUE- FANtastic 3 exclusive character announced!

2007-11-27T18:34:00.000-05:00

Toy-sculpting gurus The Four Horsemen have announced the identity of the newest FANtastic exclusive-- the winna is:

SCARABUS!

The villainous Scarabus is from the Four Horsemen's creator-owned line, Gothitropolis, which the official FANtastic website describes as, "A horror/adventure themed toy line. The storyline of Gothitropolis revolves around of family of vampire/werewolf crossbreeds fighting off resurrected ancient evil in futuristic Europe. The heroes use a combination of mystic weapons passed down through their family and high tech weaponry bases partially on the principals of gothic architecture and design. The proposed format of the line is six to seven inch tall highly detailed, well-articulated figures with character specific weapons."

But just because Scarabus has been chosen doesn't mean that FANtastic voting is over!

Right now, collectors can have their say about the size of the fiendish overlord-- 3-3/4”, 5”, 6”, 8”, 12”, and, new this year, the HUGE 18” scale (1/4 life-size).

Cast your vote over at:

http://www.fantasticexclusive.com/

A/V CLUB- HOLY SHIT! WATCHMEN SET PICS!

2007-11-27T01:21:00.000-05:00

Watchmen director Zack Snyder has posted these amazing images of some of the sets from his long-awaited adaptation of the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore.

To someone who's never read it, these look like random pictures of the inner city, but these are drool-worthy to Watchmen fans-- the production designers have absolutely nailed the look, feel, and tone of Dave Gibbons' artwork! This slavish devotion to the world created by Moore and Gibbons isn't surprising: We're talking about the guy that directed 300, which was practically projected from the comic to the big screen.

Notice a certain familiar figure in that first image? And that just isn't any random graffiti on the walls...

Ever wonder what it takes to create a fake city?

Snyder also offered some of these interesting factoids:

• 5,800 feet of neon requiring 24,000 watts of power
• 100 unique and custom-designed graphics created for the various storefronts
• 5,000 square feet of custom posters
• Street had to work for 1938, 1945, 1953, 1957, 1964, 1974, 1975, 1977, and 1985
• 1,040 feet of 1:1 scale New York streets
• 98,400 square feet of exterior scenery
• 12,500 square feet of interior scenery
• Building heights range from 23'9" to 42'6"
• 10,325 16-foot 2x4s
• 3,600 sheets of OSB (plywood-like construction material)
• 384,000 square feet of foam brick
• 200,000 nails
• 3,500 tubes of construction adhesive
• 160,000 lbs. of steel I-beams support the facades
• 300 cubic meters of concrete
• 6,000 square feet of glass
• 4,800 square feet of plexiglass
• 20,000 donuts were consumed by the construction crew
• 20,000 gallons of water and 3,000 gallons of Gatorade was drunk by the crew

To learn more about the film and follow the production, visit:

http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

*Images courtesy Warner Bros./Zack Snyder

PLASTIQUE- Hot Toys' DIG- Copperhead-18! AKA I know what I want for Christmas...

2007-11-27T00:58:00.000-05:00

I'm not a huge fan of "urban vinyl," "designer toys," or the 1/6th scale, but Hot Toys' Copperhead-18 is one of the coolest figures I've seen in a long time-- I can't stop checking this thing out!

Luckily for American collectors, Sideshow Collectibles will be importing this mega-cool piece, which is limited to a minuscule run of 100 figures, and retails for $199.99 for the standard version ($299.99 will net you the special edition).

In addition to having an awesome design, Copperhead-18 washes up with these groovy accessories:

-Copper helmet
-Mesh Cutter
-Pressure fish spear
-Copper fake leg
-Adjustable balanced regulator
-Rebreathers
-Chain-mail gloves
-Copper bottom boot
-Suction and Exhaust hose
-Pressure suit
-Metal detector and emergency air-supply (Mecha Pentapus)

The deluxe edition includes all of that, but sports a variant white diving suit with chromed parts (and Mecha Pentapus), and is limited to just 30 pieces in America!

For more info and pictures, please visit:

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=6368 (Regular Edition)

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=6369 (Special Edition)

*Images courtesy Sideshow Collectibles/Hot Toys

NOISE- New Video Alert: The White Stripes' "Conquest"!

2007-11-27T00:38:00.000-05:00

Check out this hilarious matador-themed video for the White Stripes' cover of Patti Page's cheesetastic "Conquest"!

Dig that faux angry bull POV action!

http://www.whitestripes.com/
http://myspace.com/thewhitestripes

*Video courtesy the White Stripes/Youtube

PLASTIQUE- Hey, baby, what's your sign?

2007-11-22T04:06:00.000-05:00

After some ill-advised efforts to broaden their appeal (Napoleon Dynamite? Justice League-style animated figures?!) McFarlane Toys finally seem to be back on track with the first series of their Warriors of the Zodiac line-- easily one of their coolest in recent memory.

Three series are planned, with all signs represented, so you can buy yours starting in May 2008... you egomaniac, you.

CANCER

TAURUS

ARIES

GEMINI

Cancer is probably the coolest crab figure ever made... we'll even be so bold to say the coolest CRUSTACEAN figure ever made. Lobster Johnson is not included in that statement, not being a real lobster, y'see.

Oh, and isn't Gemini one of the creepiest fucking things you've ever seen?

http://spawn.com/news/news3.aspx?id=13260

*Images by and courtesy of McFarlane Toys

PLASTIQUE- Giant pile of cocaine sold separately.

2007-11-22T03:50:00.001-05:00

In the grand tradition of Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider, Medicom and Sideshow Collectibles have unveiled the newest Real Action Hero: MICK JAGGER?!?

This half of the Glimmer Twins stands 12" tall and is decked out for the stage (a teeny stage! tee-hee!) in an amazingly detailed recreation of one of his crazy-ass 70s get-ups and, natch, an in-scale microphone! Mick is ready for a duet (and ambiguous "relationship") with NECA's David Bowie Labyrinth figure, or a weekend bender with the Pirates of the Caribbean Captain Teague (AKA Keith "Keif" Richards).

Now where's our Charlie Watts figure?

Guys?

...Guys?

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=4337

*Images courtesy Medicom/Sideshow Collectibles

PLASTIQUE- HULK SMASH!

2007-11-19T23:48:00.000-05:00

About 25 years ago, I had a giant Incredible Hulk figurine. Some of my earliest (and fondest) memories of playing with toys involved that big, green lug, so it should come as no surprise that I'm always jazzed when a new Hulk figure rampages its way to shelves-- like this 8" monster from Marvel Select Toys.

Sculpted by Gabriel Marquez, ol' Jade Genes here features 14 points of articulation and a rubble-strewn base right out of the World War Hulk comics.

Look for him in March 2008.

Not like you could miss 'im anyway.

*Image by and courtesy of http://diamondselecttoys.com/

A/V CLUB- HUGE NEWS FOR BURTON FANATICS!

2007-11-17T03:02:00.000-05:00

Variety (http://www.variety.com/) is reporting that filmmaking god Tim Burton has signed a two picture deal with Disney. The first film, slated to go into production in early 2008, will be an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland that will combine live-action with motion-capture (like Robert Zemeckis' Polar Express and Beowulf), written by Lion King and Beauty & The Beast scribe Linda Woolverton. The second will be a feature-length, STOP-MOTION version of the director's own 1984 short Frankenweenie, where a boy resurrects his beloved dog after it is hit by a car, much to the chagrin of his parents and neighbors.

Oh, and did I mention that both movies will be in 3-D?

Officially the coolest story of the week.

No offense to Dan Ackroyd.

The official Variety news story:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976106.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A START- That's right, boys. It's Dr. Venkman!

2007-11-17T02:27:00.000-05:00

There's good news and bad news about that AWESOME Ghostbusters video game that Zootfly announced about 10 months ago.

The bad news first: Zootfly's next-gen game is DOA-- despite numerous online petitions, the company could not score the rights for an official release...

The good news is that Sierra, makers of the ultra cool-looking actioner TimeShift, as well as F.E.A.R. and Lode Runner (one of The Alchemist's favorite video games ever!) have had the license for some time and are developing a brand-new game for pretty much every console currently on the market, including the XBox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PS3.

The coolest part?

Sierra's Ghostbusters will also be an official, in-continuity sequel to the blockbuster films written and overseen by Ghostbusters creators/screenwriters/actors Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis! And just when you though it couldn't get any better, the entire Ghostbusters cast-- including hold-out Bill Murray-- will reunite to provide their voices! A new feature film has been stuck in development Hell for close to 20 years, but this game looks like the next best thing.

Right now, not a whole lot is known about the plot, other than that it takes place a few years after the events of the second movie, and that you're a new Ghostbusters recruit getting a little on the job training, let's say. Check out the game's official site for a few screenshots and a short promo that shows just what happens when you cross the streams...

The game's official site:

http://www.ghostbustersgame.com/

G4's story, including gameplay video:

http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/680896/Ghostbusters_Gameplay_Footage.html

Sierra:

http://www.sierra.com/

*Image by and courtesy of Sierra

PLASTIQUE- GI Joe Wave 6 pic!

2007-11-14T22:30:00.001-05:00

Ending months of speculation about the true line-up of the sixth series of the uber-popular 25th Anniversary GI Joe line, Hasbro has released this new image:

...Not quite as rad as the rumored wave that included Cobra baddie Major Bludd and helicopter pilot/good ol' boy Wild Bill, but not bad at all...

Battle Armor Cobra Commander? Cool. The original was a schoolyard favorite.

Rock & Roll? Neat addition for the fans of the Original 13. 2008's gonna be a big year for them.

Torpedo? Awesome. Hopefully he'll be repainted and we'll get a Wetsuit.

ANOTHER version 1 Snake Eyes? Err... well, if it keeps retailers ordering more Joes...

http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/default.cfm?page=25thAnniversary

*Image by and courtesy of Hasbro

The Alchemist would like to give a shout-out to our friend, personal attorney, and fellow Joe fanatic Brian S. Jacobson, Esquire!

PLASTIQUE- Gamestop exclusive Spartan!

2007-11-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

They've faced legions of Covenant, but are the Spartans ready for their biggest challenge: namely, shrinking shelf space and an ultra-competitive market at video game stores?

McFarlane Toys have announced their Gamestop exclusive Steel Close Quarter Battle Spartan, and what an awesome variant! Like the rest of the HALO line, the figure is in the 5" scale and features 18 points of articulation, making it the most poseable McFarlane toy ever produced. Even cooler than that, this soldier will be deployed with removable CQB armor, which fits on all the other McFarlane Spartans.

Look for them to ship out to Gamestop stores March 2008.

Original McFarlane press release:

http://www.spawn.com/news/news6.aspx?id=13246

HALO series one:

http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=369

*Images by and courtesy of McFarlane Toys

PLASTIQUE- Indiana Jones Cinemaquette!

2007-11-07T23:49:00.000-05:00

Cinemaquette-- makers of the amazing Captain Jack Sparrow, Terminator, and Aragorn museum-quality maquettes-- have announced their newest drop-dead gorgeous piece: INDIANA JONES!

Here are Indy's stats, directly from Cinemaquette's website:

"Constructed of polyurethane composite with realistic silicon skin, the Indiana Jones Cinemaquette's head is is individually punched with real human hair, and features film-accurate clothing, weaponry, and equipment, from his trusty revolver to his famous bullwhip, authentic in every detail.

-Approximately 24 inches in height

-Clothing and weaponry reproduced in scale with precise detail

-Handsome display base

-Limited in production to 1,000 units worldwide"

The piece's price has not yet been announced, but other Cinemaquettes have ranged from $1200-$1800

For more info, check out:

http://www.cinemaquette.com/

*Images by and courtesy of http://www.cinemaquette.com/

PLASTIQUE- Mezco's Cinema of Fear series 2!

2007-11-05T01:44:00.001-05:00

Hot on the heels of the release of their first series of slasher movie-based line Cinema of Fear, Mezco Toyz has unveiled the second wave! This series of 7" figures features Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Part 6), Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Freddy Kreuger (A Nightmare on Elm Street), and Nancy ( also from A Nightmare on Elm Street).

This Cinema of Fear sequel should be in stores in April 2008, for those that like a little scare in their Easter baskets...

JASON

LEATHERFACE

FREDDY

NANCY

http://mezcotoyz.com/

*Images courtesy Mezco Toyz

A/V CLUB- Blade Runner Final Cut screenings!

2007-11-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ridley Scott's groundbreaking sci-fi film Blade Runner, select theatres around the country will be screening its much-anticipated "final" cut.

Based on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner stars Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a Los Angeles police detective and member of the elite Blade Runner Unit, who are in charge of tracking down and "retiring" murderous androids called Replicants. Brought in for one last assignment, Deckard questions his job when he meets Rachel, a "more human than human" female robot.

Some of these dates have already passed, but definitely jump at the chance to see this classic movie on the big screen!

10/26 - Seattle (Cinerama, Seattle - 35mm)

10/26 - Washington D.C. (Uptown, D.C. - 35mm)

10/26 - Portland (Cinema 21, Portland - 35mm)

10/26 - Salt Lake (Gateway Megaplex, SLC - Digital)

11/2 - Chicago (Music Box, Chicago - 35mm)

11/2 - Santa Barbara (Arlington, Santa Barbara - Digital),

11/2 - Baltimore (Landmark Harbor East, Baltimore - Digital)

11/9 - Boston (Coolidge Corner, Brookline - 35mm)

11/16 - Detroit (Main Art, Detroit - 35mm)

11/18 - Austin (Paramount, Austin - 35mm)

11/30 - San Francisco (Embarcadero, San Francisco - 35mm)

11/30 - Dallas (The Inwood, Dallas - 35mm)

11/30 - San Diego (Ken, San Diego - 35mm)

11/30 - Minneapolis (Uptown, Minneapolis - 35mm)

12/7 - Denver (The Landmark @ Greenwood Village - Digital)

12/7 - Philadelphia (The Ritz 5, Philadelphia - 35mm)

12/25 - Boston (The Brattle, Cambridge - 35mm)

1/2/08 - Austin (The Paramount, Austin - 35mm)

1/4/08 - Nashville (The Belcourt, Nashville - 35mm)

1/18/08 - Durham (Carolina, Durham - 35mm)

2/1/08 - Columbus (Drexel Gateway, Columbus - 35mm)

2/15/08 - San Francisco (Castro, San Francisco - 35mm)

2/29/08 - Sacramento (Crest, Sacramento - 35mm)

*Information courtesy http://www.aintitcool.com

NOISE- ZEPPELIN REUNION POSTPONED!

2007-11-02T00:23:00.000-05:00

*Image by Fin Costello

Led Zeppelin's reunion concert to honor their friend, late Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun, has been postponed due to a fracture of guitar god Jimmy Page's finger, but fear not-- the show WILL go on... just a couple weeks later than planned.

Here's an official statement by the band, from their website, http://ledzeppelin.com/ :

"AHMET ERTEGUN TRIBUTE CONCERT POSTPONED UNTIL DECEMBER 10th

Led Zeppelin Guitarist Jimmy Page Fractures Finger

The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert, originally scheduled for Monday, November 26th and featuring Led Zeppelin, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Paul Rogers, Paolo Nutini, and Foreigner has been postponed until December 10th due to Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page fracturing his finger.

The injury to Page’s finger, which was sustained this past weekend, will not allow him to play guitar for 3 weeks.

The specialist treating Mr. Page said, “I have examined the fracture to Mr. Page’s finger, and it is my opinion that with proper rest and treatment, he will be ready to resume rehearsing in three weeks time, and thus able to perform on December 10.”

Jimmy Page added, “I am disappointed that we are forced to postpone the concert by two weeks. However, Led Zeppelin have always set very high standards for ourselves, and we feel that this postponement will enable my injury to properly heal, and permit us to perform at the level that both the band and our fans have always been accustomed to.”

TICKET HOLDERS PLEASE NOTE

ALL Tickets for the November 26th show will be valid for the rescheduled date.

Any customers who are unable to attend the rescheduled concert on the 10th December should apply for a full refund of the ticket purchase prior to midday (UK time) on November 14th 2007. Any tickets made available as a result of refunds will be offered to ballot winners selected at random from original registrations after the 15th November 2007.

Please refer to www.ahmettribute.com http://www.ahmettribute.com/ for information on how to obtain a refund and for further information."