Archive for September, 2014

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Great Bad Trailers for Great Bad Movies: Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978)

Published September 18, 2014 '70s Movies/TV , Movie Trailers 2 Comments

The incredible bad TV cast includes Richard Crenna (dad), Yvette Mimieux (mom), and Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann (brother and sister). Richards and Eisenmann also starred as siblings in Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and Return from Witch Mountain (1978). (My first two crushes were Richards and Maria Persson, who played Annika in the Pippi Longstocking movies.)

As of now, you can watch Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell here. Skip to the 1:28:20 mark to see the final encounter between Crenna and the devil dog in its wretchedly rendered demonic state. Rawr!

Devil Dog 1978

The Karate Kid 6 Piece Action Set (Remco, 1986)

Published September 18, 2014 '80s Movies/TV , Karate Kid, The , Remco Toys 3 Comments

Karate Kid Remco 1986

Karate Kid Remco 1986-2

Karate Kid Remco 1986-3

First, throw the FLY in the air. Second, open your CHOPSTICKS. Third, Catch the FLY.

Jesus, I love the ’80s.

(Images via sfzdk/Flickr)

The Year 2000 According to the Year 1970: Special Banking Edition

Published September 17, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , What the Future Looked Like 2 Comments

Banking 2000-1

Banking 2000-2

Banking 2000-3

Banking 2000-4

Banking 2000-5

Tom at Garage Sale Finds found these banking-related slides at an estate sale. They were paired with slides showing the current (circa 1970) state of banking and banking technology. Says Tom:

These slides were actually part of two sets. The first was “Electronic Data Processing and Your Credit Union” and the second was called “Challenge of Philosophy”. The second set was a sort of history of credit unions and included the “Year 2000” slides.

Click the link for the rest of the photos, and then have a look through the whole site. It’s one of my favorite blogs; you’ll find everything from scans of 1970s TV Guides to 1950s Erector Set manuals to vintage swizzle sticks. It’s a smart, funny exploration of Americana, one garage sale at a time.

The Karate Kid Action Figures Ad (Remco, 1986)

Published September 17, 2014 '80s Movies/TV , Ads , Karate Kid, The , Remco Toys 1 Comment

Karate Kid 1986

I had no idea. The line came out with the release of The Karate Kid, Part II and included several playsets and accessories (Break-Away Wall, Miyagi’s Fly Catching Chopsticks). I must investigate further.

(Image via Fashion Plunder/eBay)

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cool, Cool Candles (NSI, 1983)

Published September 16, 2014 Arts and Crafts , D&D , D&D Non-Gaming Merchandise 3 Comments

AD&D Candles 1983-1

AD&D Candles 1983-3

AD&D Candles 1983-2

They’re not just cool candles. They’re cool, cool candles. Do they represent the most obnoxiously irrelevant D&D product license ever to come to market, or does that honor go to the AD&D Woodburning Set, also from NSI? Either way, the candles are colorful, fun, and cool times two (times three, even!). I would like to line them up on my desk and light them while listening to First Quest: The Music.

(Images via G-Shop Games/eBay)

Alien T-Shirt (1979)

Published September 15, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Alien Trilogy 1 Comment

Alien T-shirt 1979

Alien T-shirt 1979-2

It sparkles!

Alien T-Shirt Transfer (1979)

Published September 15, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Alien Trilogy , Iron-on Transfers , Roach Studios 9 Comments

Alien Transfer 1979-1

Alien Transfer 1979-2

Alien T-shirt 1979-3

Totally wicked and extremely rare iron-on. I think there were only four transfer designs in total: The egg, the Nostromo, the space jockey, and this one. The Giger-inspired title probably wasn’t recognizable enough at the time—nothing like it appears in the trailer, the theatrical posters, etc.—but it’s unmistakable now.

UPDATE (9/17/14): Jason at Contra Dextra Avenue identified the “Roach” on the transfer as most likely the t-shirt design company Roach Studios—very popular in the ’70s. Check out a vintage ad below.

Roach 1970s

Star Wars Kenner Pinback Button (1977/1978)

Published September 12, 2014 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Kenner Toys , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 1 Comment

SW Kenner 77-78

(Via The Vintage Newsstand/eBay)

Kenner’s The Empire Strikes Back Toys: Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer Action Playset (1980)

Published September 12, 2014 Kenner Toys , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 5 Comments

ESB SD 1980-1

ESB SD 1980-2

ESB SD 1980-3

ESB SD 1980-4

ESB SD 1980-5

See the set in the wild, and on Christmas morning, here.

Starlog #45 (April, 1981): ‘The Magic and Mystery of Excalibur’

Published September 11, 2014 Lord of the Rings, The , Magazines/Zines , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) , Starlog Leave a Comment

Starlog 45 1981-1

Starlog 45 1981-2

Boorman gets the kid gloves here, especially where Exorcist II: The Heretic is concerned—an awful, unwatchable movie. (Excalibur is not much better, to be honest: a beautifully shot film ravaged by pretentiousness.) Again we have the Lord of the Rings–Star Wars connection:

Boorman describes his approach to the film in terms straight out of the Ring Trilogy […]

The British-born director sees Star Wars, in particular, as subject to Arthurian interpretation. “Think of Obi-Wan Kenobi as Merlin, Luke Skywalker as young Arthur, Han Solo as Lancelot and Princess Leia as Queen Guinevere.”

Read the whole issue at the Internet Archive.

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