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My Pet Monstaaa.

The latest review is of My Pet Monster's Live-Action Videocassette, a true classic by our standards. I was most pleased to find this tape after years of searching, and it didn't let me down. I know it'll be tough for most of you to get yours hands on it, so I went through the extra trouble of creating several video clips - check the bottom of the review for those. I kinda wish I'd done that for some of the previous reviews, so maybe someday I'll go back and add vids here and there.

I feel like I've been on a timecard with the site these past few weeks. Got a lot going on, and c'mon, American Idol's in it's final stretch. That's a big time sucker. Actually, not to jinx myself, but I appear to be on the cusp of landing the kind of job I've always wanted, and between writing samples and otherwise having it on my mind, it's taking up a lot of my time. I'll let you know when and if it ever comes through. If it doesn't, I'll pretend the opportunity never existed and lie about someone else writing this entry. The point is, I'm sorta annoyed with only having enough time to do my articles and get the Hell outta here, so hopefully that'll change in a few weeks. X-E is historically unorganized, but one of my main goals a few months back was getting everything back online in the proper spots and adding a lot of new and regularly updated features. The commercials, for example - LOTS more of those coming. I'm also debating adding another section simply for scans of old print ads, since I've accumulated a pretty good collection of 'em in the past year. No, not the usual comic book scans you've seen online for years already - these are from some pretty obscure magazines and catalogs, and while none are deserving of full articles in of themselves, there's no way you won't get a kick out of seeing 'em.

Unfortunately, I'm the type who likes to make 50 plans at once, causing a brain overload that makes me put everything on hold for months on end. Still, if the new job really is on the horizon, I definitely want the site to be as efficient as possible first. The coding is a big thing, and I'm glad that'll be over with soon. As of now, everything you see on the site is just written out in plain html, eating away at five times the time it really needs. Be patient, though - I think the best is yet to come.

Posted by Matt on 04/29/2003. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 54 comments

I remember the MPM cartoon. I didn’t want one befor I saw the cartoon, and I wanted one even less after I saw it.

But I was always fascinated by the handcuffs.

Chestnuts roasted by Sean @ 04/29/2003 10:02 PM

I never got to see anything, I never knew this existed. But, interesting news — Rainbow Foods, my grocery store, sells new MY PET MONSTER stickers. In the works for another nostalgic comeback, maybe? DUNNDUNNDUNNN..

Chestnuts roasted by Xanthe @ 04/29/2003 11:01 PM

Hey Matt, so what’s the new job you are gonna be doing??
Something with writing??
like…like…uh…freelancing?

Chestnuts roasted by Tony @ 04/29/2003 11:03 PM

Nah, it’s a steady column thingy. Basically with topics similar to X-E, but with a little more emphasis on the facts and figures than pitiful attempts at comedy. We’ll see, I’ve got my fingers crossed. :)

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 04/29/2003 11:04 PM

Good luck with the job, Matt.

I actually remember reading "My Little Monster" books. It had this blond 10-year old kid getting in all kinds of trouble with the blue ball of meshed fur. Kinda idiotic, but less so then the video

P.S. You said there were 9 video clips, yet I only count 6.

Chestnuts roasted by Mr. Mr. Mr. @ 04/30/2003 12:14 PM

We’re both wrong. There’s eight clips, but I’ve since corrected the error.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 04/30/2003 12:16 PM

I just saw the poodle die. What did that girl say? "Be peaceable?" LoL. Poor dog probably just fainted from desire. In that suit I’m sure Max was smelling like all sorts of bacon. Great article! The "Monstaaa!" is well… beyond words… beyond hope… Sometimes you just have to bow to the absurd and move along. Although, for some reason, it makes all kind of sense for me to see him as employed as garbageman, or the head cook in a prison cafeteria… Oh man its going to be a long night…

Chestnuts roasted by BotchieGulpe @ 04/30/2003 1:39 AM

I am suprised you have not been approached by a magazine like FHM. They seemed to be filled with random blurbs that you could write easily enough.

Chestnuts roasted by Richard @ 04/30/2003 1:40 AM

Was there a my pet moster toy called "Zugly"

because i have something that resembles that thing, only its better.

Might be a cheap riff off of that line of toys tho.(depsite it being better)

Chestnuts roasted by X, @ 04/30/2003 7:56 AM

my local video store had this when i was a little kid- and it was my favourite movie! I musta watched it about a thousand times.

One of my favourite bits is the zoom out right at the end as the credits roll to "the monster mash" song.

I dont think we ever had the doll here in New Zealand (if it existed i surely woulda had one) but god damn i made my parents sit theouh that movie about a dozen times.

Chestnuts roasted by spiralstairs @ 04/30/2003 9:10 AM

Holy shit – I never comment on this website, but I remember the My Pet Monster movie being my favorite movie of all time as a kid. I rented it, like, fifty times. I’d completely forgotten about it.
MY FIRST BORN CHILDREN WILL BEAR YOUR NAME FOR BRINGING BACK THESE LONG FORGOTTEN MEMORIES. Actually, half of me is feeling this intense nostalgia for this movie that I’d once loved while the other half is feeling disgusted at the fact that my taste in movies hasn’t changed in 17 years.

Chestnuts roasted by Master Harold @ 04/30/2003 9:46 AM

Oh my god. I used to rent this thing all the time! Thank you so much for adding the video clips, I really didnt’ remember just how god awful it was. I used to watch the cartoon all the time too. I didn’t know I was some kind of weird minority…I thought everybody watched it. *snif*

Chestnuts roasted by Toad64 @ 04/30/2003 10:33 AM

Crap, I’d forgotten about My Pet Monster altogether. Even when I saw the live-action pic of him, it took me a while to dredge up the memories of the cartoon.

So this is the scenario I’m picturing: the monster eats the keys, but the *kid* shits ‘em out. Let’s hope the bad guys didn’t have some huge, awkwardly-shaped theme-park key chain. ‘Cause I’m thinking that shitting out Magic Kingdom turrets wouldn’t be fun.

By the way — speaking of dredging up cartoon memories — does anyone else remember that cartoon (I think it was called ‘Lone Star’) about the native Sheriff with the "speed of the puma" etc. and his horse. I think the horse was mechanical or something because he could stand on his two hind legs and blow people away with some sort of hand-held lazer bazooka combination thingee. Anyone? Just me? I seem to recall really liking that one. But then again I really liked MASK. And Jem. So grains of salt all around.

Chestnuts roasted by Molten @ 04/30/2003 10:45 AM

Oh yeah, and good luck with the job Matt. :D

Chestnuts roasted by Molten @ 04/30/2003 10:46 AM

I can’t wait for my dream job as Penthouse letters editor…

Chestnuts roasted by spazzamatic @ 04/30/2003 11:08 AM

We used to have the MPM cartoon down here in Brazil, but definately not the movie… You really found a gem, Matt, not even IMDB knows about it!

Molten, the cartoon you’re talking about is BraveStarr, there’s a review around here.

Good luck on the job front, Matt.

Chestnuts roasted by Roddy @ 04/30/2003 11:17 AM

Ah the memories of watching the My Pet Monster video. I can’t remember where I got it from but I used to have this tape as a kid.

I must have enjoyed it when I was younger as I never had the heart to throw the tape out. That said though, it’s been languishing in a box in the garage for the last 10 years or so.

All I can really remember about it is the Donkey Kong style opening credits (probably the best part) and the fact they used the song "Monster Mash" for the end credits (not the best part).

Chestnuts roasted by PhotoBoy @ 04/30/2003 11:34 AM

Alyson Court, who plays the sister, has done a lot of voice acting for cartoons and video games. She’s probably best known for playing Jubilee in the 1990s X-Men cartoon, but she also does Claire Redfield in the Resident Evil games and did Lydia in the old Beetlejuice cartoon.

Colin Fox, the bad guy, has done a ton of stuff, both live-action and cartoon. He seems to currently star in the Nero Wolfe series. Bizarrely, he and Alyson Court both appeared in a TV movie called Elvis Meets Nixon (she played Priscilla).

And most bizarrely of all, Sunny Besen Thrasher (Max) and Alyson Court both did the voice of Veronica in the late ’80s Archie cartoon. Why have a boy play a teenage girl? Usually it’s the other way around, and women play boys. Confuse his sexual identity, why don’t you. It’s bad enough that he’s named "Sunny." Or is Sunny actually a girl who played male characters? I’m confused. Anyway, if you want to know what happened to him/her, check this out:

http://www.rockyhorror.com/pc11_98.html

Chestnuts roasted by Action Jacktion @ 04/30/2003 11:50 AM

(I just realized that, considering Sunny’s current work, maybe those multi-sexual roles did have a lasting effect….)

Chestnuts roasted by Action Jacktion @ 04/30/2003 11:59 AM

You have to admit, with a last name like Thrasher, ol’ Sunny started out with a disadvantage. Can you imagine how often that kid got pushed around BEFORE being MPM? And I doubt it got better afterwards ("Ooooh, Thrasher the fuzzy blue key-eating monster. Gimmee your lunch money, Sunny").

Good luck with the job hunt Matt.

By the way, I personally think you should compile your best/favourites into a book. Put the word "angel" in the title and you can probably get on Oprah with it. With Baby Boomers getting to be older but not wanting to forget the good times of the 80′s, I’m sure they’d love to relive the ridiculous things us kids made them buy (and later sell at garage sales–I still miss my Battle Beasts, including the gold-colour knock offs).

Chestnuts roasted by Sean @ 04/30/2003 1:18 PM

Who thuh hell is "Crim"? Is that a Brad-alternate character? Thank Christ I don’t have to associate the stage name "Thuncercock" with Sunny Thrasher — and to think, if only I’d known, I could have gone to a showing and gotten an autograph.

Also, that chick on the right in the second picture looks like a Courtney Love "Live Through This" album-insert outtake. (Say that four times fast. Yeah).

Chestnuts roasted by Molten @ 04/30/2003 1:47 PM

HOLY SHIT, max’s sister is played by the chick who played loonette on big comfy couch!

christ! i KNEW i knew that name from somewhere. holy shit. wow.

Chestnuts roasted by evin @ 04/30/2003 1:53 PM

(And thanks for the BraveStarr heads-up, Roddy; that’s the sort of thing that’ll keep you awake at night. Sometime soon I’ll try to keep more than one thought in my head at once).

Chestnuts roasted by Molten @ 04/30/2003 1:54 PM

Matt, I’d just like to thank you for confirming to this poor, confused mind that there was indeed once a video that started with My Pet Monster going all Pac-Man and trying to get away from some creepy looking guy in a Mario Brothers-looking video game. I’d been wondering if it was just some fantastical, alcohol-induced imagining from my college days, but now I can distinctly remember having rented it numerous times in my youth. God, my parents were saints.

Oh yeah, wasn’t there a sort of offshoot of the MPM line with mini-monsters, presumably for the kids whose parents couldn’t afford the big guy? I think I had one of those…

Hey, and good luck with the job!
:)

Chestnuts roasted by The Lucky One @ 04/30/2003 2:48 PM

My Pet Monster was HUGE in Canada. I think this video (and the cartoon) were Canadian productions (based on the fact that the cartoon aired here, in repeat form, for about 18 years) and I recognize most of the cast from their many, many appearances in horrible Canadian productions. Max played the younger brother on the Edison Twins, a show a thousand times worse than this video.

Chestnuts roasted by Mend0zA @ 04/30/2003 2:58 PM

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 29th, 2003 at 9:33 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.