Archive for the '’80s Movies/TV' Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

1984 HG Toys Catalog: Masters of the Universe, Blue Thunder, Eagle Force, and The Last Starfighter

Published February 26, 2014 '80s Movies/TV , Catalogs , Eagle Force , HG Toys , Last Starfighter, The , Masters of the Universe , Toy Guns/Weapons 10 Comments

HG-1

HG-4

HG-8

HG-5

I think the Masters of the Universe franchise stinks. To me, it’s just a dumbed down mash-up of D&D and Star Wars. Still, there’s no denying its overwhelming impact on the kid world at the time. Do I happen to have an awesome photo of a youngster holding the sword and shield (and wearing the belt) from one of these HG sets? I do.

There was a Blue Thunder toy line produced by Multi-Toys, for some reason, but I believe only the helicopter made it to the shelves. Leave it to HG to jump on the scraps: Blue Thunder Dress Up Helmet Set?

Eagle Force was an action figure line released by Mego in 1982, the same year G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero premiered. (I’ll delve into the two lines at some point, because it’s clear that Hasbro ripped off some of Mego’s designs). Mego shut down operations in 1982, and Eagle Force was done, so it’s curious to see the name still being used in ’84.

The Last Starfighter Target Set is so incompetent that I sort of adore it. Is that supposed to be Grig on the right? Mercy.

(Images via Parry Game Preserve)

Movie Theater Marquees: Krull and Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983)

Published February 7, 2014 '80s Movies/TV , Movie Theaters/Marquees 5 Comments

Krull Philly 1983

The location is Philadelphia. I don’t know the name of the theater. UPDATE (4/21/14): Howard Haas has identified it as the Goldman Theatre, which was demolished in 1984.

I have great affection for Krull. I think it’s a nifty, good-looking combination of the fantasy and sci-fi genres. As for Yor, you owe it to yourself to watch it at least once. The theme song and soundtrack are incredible. And, of course, there’s the hang glider scene.

(Image via milfodd/Flickr)

LJN Toys: E.T. Collectibles and Spaceship Playset (1982/1983)

Published November 20, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , E.T. 3 Comments

LJN E.T. 1982

LJN E.T. 1982-2

Much more interesting than the novelty figures is what I found in the 1983 LJN catalog below: an unproduced spaceship playset.

E.T. Spaceship LJN 1983

Not a great picture, but you can see how big it is (10 lbs!), and I’m impressed by the imagination that went into it—I always wondered what the inside of E.T.’s ship looked like. I don’t think the set would have sold, not even in 1982, because there were no action figures to go with it. Elliott shows up only once in the line, and he’s attached to a silly bicycle toy. By trying to appeal to the whole family, LJN lost the boys.

Articulated figures of Elliott and his friends with accompanying race bikes (BMX was huge at the time) and jump sets might have done some damage. For bad guys, throw in the dude with the keys and some FBI agents with shotguns. (Not walkie-talkies, Steven Spielberg—shotguns.)

TRON Review and D&D Tournament Ad (1982)

Published November 13, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , D&D , D&D Tournaments , Tron 6 Comments

Tron Review 7-9-82

From the July 9, 1982 edition of The Miami News. I thought the review was interesting because it’s basically how I feel about every sci-fi movie from the last 20 years, except for Moon, Children of Men, and a handful of others. Is it possible that gratuitously vacuous blockbusters like Avatar and Prometheus will be considered classics in 30 years? I’ll admit that TRON is far from a perfect movie, but it does have a soul.

The ad below was on the same page of the paper. What makes a geek a geek is not keeping “that precocious little imagination occupied,” but keeping it challenged. At least that used to be what made a geek a geek. Now you can just dress up in elaborate costumes and prowl your Con of choice, and I guess that’s enough.

D&D Tournament 1982

Star Frontiers and Mr. T Doll Commercials (1983)

Published November 7, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , Commercials , TSR 2 Comments

TSR’s Star Frontiers commercial is up first. The animation is impressive for 1983, and the concept is clever. As the doors to the hobby shop open, you can see the 1983 D&D Basic Set update (red box, revised by Frank Mentzer) and Fantasy Forest on display to the right. You can download the Alpha Dawn rulebook (the art is exquisite throughout), modules, character sheets, and other cool stuff at  starfrontiers.com.

My original objective was to post all the available TSR commercials here, but the Mr. T spot that starts at 1:03 lured me off course. Won’t you sing along?

Mr. T! He’s got legs that move, he’s twelve inches high-igh.

Mr. T! He’s got a real cool haircut and a mean, mean look in his eye-eye.

He’s got arms that move and a fistful of rings…

You can pretend that Mr. T is real tough and mean.

Mr. T!

Mr. T!

I’m currently speechless, so I’ll leave the comments to you.

(Video via Genius7277/YouTube)

Halloween, 1984: Gizmo and Gremlins

Published October 30, 2013 '80s Decor/Design/Fashion , '80s Movies/TV , Halloween , Halloween Costumes , Horror Movies/TV 2 Comments

Halloween Doom 1984

The Gremlins costume is a Ben Cooper, but I have no idea why it says STAR. It should say STRIPE, the only Gremlin named in the movie. At the time, even though I adored Gremlins (kids were literally running out of the theater, scared shitless—it was awesome), I would have been all over that Dr. Doom costume. In ’83 and ’84 my pursuit of comics was approaching mania.

UPDATE (10/12/15): Thanks so much to Shawn Robare for pointing out that the Gremlins costume does indeed say Stripe. My reading of “Star” was an optical illusion.

Here’s the Ben Cooper Gizmo costume.

img301 Halloween 1984

There was also a full body Gizmo costume. Here it is in action.

Halloween Gizmo 1984

And here’s the McCall’s pattern, if you want to try and track it down. Notice the box with the painted air holes (not included).

Halloween Gizmo McCalls 1984

(Photos via bobcat135/Flickr, Sean/Flickr, Needleloca, and Etsy)

Movie Theater Marquees: Friday the 13th, Don’t Go in the House, and Aliens (1980, 1986)

Published October 25, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , Alien Trilogy , Horror Movies/TV , Movie Theaters/Marquees , Sci-Fi Movies/TV 3 Comments

Friday the 13th 1980

The Warner Cinerama Theatre in New York, originally The Strand Theatre, opened in 1914. It was demolished in 1987.

Don’t Go in the House is a very low budget slasher about (the IMDb description is brutally succinct) “a victim of child abuse… who grows up to become a maniacal construction worker. He stalks women at discos, takes them home, then hangs them upside-down in a special steel-walled room and sets them on fire.” The trailer is here.

Below is the same theater seen from the opposite side. You can see a Howard the Duck poster to the left of the marquee.

I saw Aliens four or five times at the theater in the summer of ’86. It was a perfect movie then, and it’s a perfect movie now.

Aliens Marquee 1986

(Images via Jane R. Fink/Pinterest and Cinema Treasures)

Stephen King and Tom Savini on the set of Creepshow, 1981

Published October 23, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , Horror Movies/TV , Tom Savini Leave a Comment

King Savini 1982

(Via Cinematic Wasteland)

Imperial Toys: The Fall Guy Rub-A-Doos (1982)

Published October 22, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , Imperial Toy Corporation , Knockoff Toys , Presto Magix/Dry Transfers 1 Comment

Fall Guy Rub-A-Doos

Fall Guy Rub-A-Doos-2

That’s got to be the worst likeness of Lee Majors I’ve ever seen. And why is an astronaut on fire on the top of the package?

TV Guide Ad: `Elvira Meets The Fall Guy’ (1984)

Published October 22, 2013 '80s Movies/TV , Ads , TV Guide 9 Comments

Halloween TV Guide Elvira 1984

It’s not false advertising, believe it or not. Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) played herself in a Fall Guy episode called “October the 31st,” which premiered on Halloween, 1984. From what I remember, she and Colt are doing a Halloween special in a haunted mansion owned by a demented old man played by John Carradine. Will they survive the night?

Speaking of Carradine, I just watched him ham it up in another winner called Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966). Think you know the best way to knock down a vampire? Think again.

(Image via Nostalgic Collections/eBay)

Pages

Archives

Categories

Donate Button

Join 1,117 other subscribers