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03/21/2004: Obi-Wan & Dawn of the Deadddd.

Here’s a pretty quick one about “The Spirit of Obi-Wan,” a mail-away exclusive from Hasbro and Frito Lay to tie in with the special edition theatrical release of the Star Wars trilogy in the late 90s. I mentioned the figure in that UGO feature a month or so ago, and realized that it meant enough to me for a full tribute. Or in this case, a small one.

By the way, we caught “Dawn of the Dead” last night. No complaints here whatsoever. The main gripes I’m reading deal with the lack of “social commentary” seen in the original, as if that’s the real reason people have championed the first flick for all these years. Yeah, it’s nice that the movie was clever and all, but come on. It was all about the characters, and while prototypical at times, the new flick delivers with a cast you’ll actually feel something for. The zombies are cool, but the film is more about “waiting to die” and scrambling for hope in a hopeless situation rather than an all-out zombie action fest. And yet, when it’s time for the monsters to shine, we aren’t let down. The film has the requisite gross-out shots and loads of gore, and I’m impressed that they pulled the trigger on some extremely un-PC bits here and there. I’d expand on what I mean, but you know…spoilers and all that. I’ve been waiting to see a horror movie that’s satisfied enough in being just that without trying to be “something better than a horror movie,” a poorly structured way of saying it I know, but that’s what I wanted and that’s what I got. Recommended, and don’t wait for the DVD — it’s definitely the kind of movie that’s worth seeing in a crowd.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 94 comments

first comment,holla!!!!!!!!

Ghosted by meef @ 03/21/2004 8:52 PM EST

SECOND!!! I AM SOOOOO COOL NOW!!!

Ghosted by Kristal @ 03/21/2004 8:53 PM EST

Third??? Wow!

Ghosted by Darth Monkey @ 03/21/2004 9:02 PM EST

4th! yes! I’m better than everyone! go banana!

Ghosted by Josh @ 03/21/2004 9:04 PM EST

I saw DotD last night, too. Really great movie if you ask me. Much better than the Texas Chainsaw remake.

Ghosted by Fifth @ 03/21/2004 9:05 PM EST

funny funny stuff!

Ghosted by nelson @ 03/21/2004 9:07 PM EST

Okay, now I’ll actually COMMENT on this figure. First of all, as a Star Wars collector, I kind of hoarded these. I ordered four of ‘em, and yes, today, they ain’t worth much. Actually, there is a version of this figure that is worth something. It’s a foreign piece, I believe it was out in the UK. When the Special Edition was out over there, instead of having to send away for the figure, you got one at the Virgin Megastore. And it came it a neat box with graphics and it was specially numbered, too. Here’s a picture:

http://www.neal73.co.uk/figure_review_spirtben.htm

Scroll down to see it, it’s the second picture.

By the way, I really wish they’d make more easy-to-get-but-still-cool mail-away exclusives nowadays.

Ghosted by Darth Monkey @ 03/21/2004 9:13 PM EST

I was going to order this when the promotion started, but for some reason I never got around to actually doing it. I’ve regretted it for years. Oh, I know I could get my hands on one really easily, but it just wouldn’t be the same as ordering it from Frito-Lay, y’know? Oh, and I liked pizza chips. Oh, and one more thing; the prequels are bashed way too much, in my opinion. I love Star Wars as much now as I ever did. That is all.

Ghosted by Frostor @ 03/21/2004 9:40 PM EST

I’ve been begging for months Matt. Please. I beg of you, give us the rest of the Photog art. I’ve never asked for anything else.

Why am I so obsessed with the Photog art? I wish I could say. There’s just something about the magic of a walking camera. I’d really like to see the pics. I promise, I’ll stop harassing you every other blog if you post them. PleasE!

Ghosted by Photog's Love Child @ 03/21/2004 9:51 PM EST

I’m glad you mentioned that this figure is "worthless" now because when the promo was going on, I was 16 and in the end of my "must have every promo" phase that lasted for about 8 years. For some reason I never got around to holding on to the coupon and proofs, so I never got the fig. Up until now I was pissed at myself for this because I kept thinking it was worth big moolah. I can finally rest after all these years.
I would like to disagree with your praise for Dawn of the Dead though. To each his own, I know, but the two things that made this movie not as good as the original (without spoilers): 1. Mehki Pfifer’s (sp?) "family" 2. The end was totally different. Guess I’m just a big fan of the original…

Ghosted by Myke @ 03/21/2004 9:57 PM EST

I agree with you on Point 2 — I wish they didn’t keep it going through the credits; it would’ve been better to leave things off ambigously.

I liked the family thing because it led to one of those un-PC things I’d mentioned.

Ghosted by Matt @ 03/21/2004 10:01 PM EST

I love the figure, loved him the first time I saw him..
to bad the remakes and the new trilogys weren’t even close to *as* cool.

Glad to hear the DotD was good tho, for some reason I trust the opinion of a fellow Cheesy-80’s-movie loving toy freak more than that of the critics.

Ghosted by Cyanyde @ 03/21/2004 10:39 PM EST

The Spirit of Obi-Wan figure has sentimental associations for me – it was the first mail-away toy my mom ordered for my little brother (who couldn’t have been more than five or six at the time, too young to order it himself). He still has it. He was actually pretty good about the wait, as far as I can remember.

Ghosted by starwenn @ 03/21/2004 10:40 PM EST

A few years ago my brother got another Star Wars figure through mail-order. It was probably around the same time this Spirit of Obi Wan was being offered. This guy wasn’t as interesting though, in fact I don’t even remember who he was. All I remember is his grey and black uniform, and he might have been wearing a grey helmet. Probably just some anonymous Imperial bad-guy. Eventually my brother got tired of him, and threw him in the cage with his hampsters, who proceeded to chew his arms and legs off.

Ghosted by MG @ 03/21/2004 10:53 PM EST

Woo a Star Wars article finally a chance for me to pimp Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic which kicks all flavors of booty. I’m a Gamecube man myself but if you don’t already have one you need to buy an XBOX for this game it’s that awesome. Not a minute goes by where I’m not thinking about this game which Probably explains why i’m writing about it on the X Entertainment blog. It’s taken over my life. I need help HEEELP MEEEE.

Ghosted by Meatwad @ 03/21/2004 10:57 PM EST

What kind of stamp is that on the package addressed to Matt? It almost looks like Bowser…

Ghosted by G'Tron @ 03/21/2004 11:24 PM EST

OMG Matt lives in a Crackhouse! :o

Ghosted by Meatwad @ 03/22/2004 12:22 PM EST

speaking of pizza flaovred chips, weren’t there TMNT themed pizza flavored crackers, or tortilla chips, or some sort of snack food being sold for awhile?

Ghosted by sizone @ 03/22/2004 12:35 PM EST

As Nate mentioned a few bloggies back, yes — "Crunchabungas."

Ghosted by Matt @ 03/22/2004 12:36 PM EST

BTW, What’s your take on the Clone Wars cartoon Matt?

Ghosted by Cyanyde @ 03/22/2004 12:44 PM EST

Hmmm… methinks that wasn’t a picture of the envelope from so many years ago. Considering the stamp wasn’t cancelled out, and it was hand addressed. Can’t pull the wool over my eyes! I’m on to your tricks. I do like that you took the time to tell us that you live in a crackhouse. And that there was a dead Jedi inside. Very thoughtful.

Ghosted by allicat @ 03/22/2004 12:53 PM EST

Didn’t the Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise come out before this one? That one’s my favorite.

Ghosted by Corwin Gibson @ 03/22/2004 1:01 AM EST

Teehee. Humble Bumble.

Ghosted by Evin @ 03/22/2004 1:15 AM EST

I have nothing constructive to sayu about Dawn of the Dead. I didn’t see a lot of the scary bits, because I close my eyes and cower during the scary bits in movies. I liked that there were parts I could actually watch, where for most horror movies I just sit there quivering. It’s not like I have to pay to see them, thanks to my job at the movie theatre.

Ghosted by Gabbylicious @ 03/22/2004 2:17 AM EST

I recently got rid of my spirit of obi wan figure. For several years I would see it in stores and online for massive amounts of money. Some were selling it for like 60 bucks! They still are. Then other places have it for 3 or 4 bucks. I gave up on figures and comics and started concentrating on CD’s and DVD’s. Great article.

Ghosted by Jay Amabile @ 03/22/2004 2:19 AM EST

Hey Texas Chainsaw remake was awesome! Don’t knock it. Oh yeah – wasn’t mumra from thundercats a mail away? the version before he hulked up? Also – I agree about the han stormtrooper mail away – i got it from fruit loops…it was great.

Ghosted by Jay Amabile @ 03/22/2004 2:22 AM EST

First my sister gets the random desire to watch all three original Star Wars on the big screen tv all day today, then the Simpson’s is all about The Phantom Menace, now this. My life is full of coincidences.

Spongebob Squarepants, HBO programming and agressive self-promotion: Like I mentioned a few days back, I got to go to L.A. to meet a bunch of the cast members of Carnivale, including the gigantic Clancy Brown. I wrote all about it and posted pics here if anyone is interested in seeing pictures of me dwarfed next to the guy who does the voice of Mr. Krabs.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 03/22/2004 3:44 AM EST

Whoa, more coinkydinkies. I just realized the entry in my LiveJournal that is right before the one I just linked is totally about X-E. Spooooooooooooky.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 03/22/2004 3:59 AM EST

That? Spooky? I’ll give you spooky!

Just a few days ago I was at a used bookstore that doubled as a "junk pile full of toys" store, and in quite the ironic fashion (well, ironic NOW…) I stumbled upon THEE mesmerizngly blue Ben Kenobi figure! Honestly, I thought it was worth more than the two dollar price tag, but still, for whatever reason I didn’t pick it up. I think it’s because they had a plush Ewok doll for an even seven bucks, and I wanted to save the extra two on cleaning the various stains the previous owner kindly left behind on the oversized gerbil.

I now wish I bought that figure. Something about owning an Obi Won toy that could actually be describe as the color "mouthwash."

Damn!

Ghosted by Bobby... @ 03/22/2004 6:48 AM EST

I was so happy the day possessed all of the dead Jedi. Anakin was my final purchase and he joined Obi and Yoda to do my bidding.

Ghosted by Stilewalker @ 03/22/2004 7:31 AM EST

I know I’m probably alone in my thoughts, but I thought Empire Strikes Back was the worst movie in the series (except for the Cloud City and the battle at Hoth) there was just not enough in the middle. Darth Vadar getting his head chopped off while a 3 foot lizard groped Luke’s back just wasn’t enough for me. The sexual tension between Princess Leah and Han Solo was unbearable. i just wanted to shout to them to just get laid so you can stop arguing every freakin second of the day. i’m not sure why the 3rd won’t be remembered as the best of all time…prolly cause of the stupid Ewoks. 4 foot hamsters that carry guns just don’t cut it anymore.

let’s take a poll! if episodes 1&2 and soon to be 3 had come out in the 70’s, (w/ the special effects they had back then) do you think Star Wars would be as poplular as it is today?

Ghosted by ANdrew @ 03/22/2004 8:41 AM EST

Hey Matt, how’d you make all that Dagoban snow? It looks like you spent ages crunching ice with a Snoopy Snow Cone maker…?

Ghosted by Photoboy @ 03/22/2004 8:44 AM EST

Okay, my first Blog…here goes…..
Regarding the figure: Had it, loved it, got rid of it, still kicking myself.
Regarding the prequels: They sucked.
Come to think of it, so did the TCM remake. In fact, barring LOTR, I haven’t been impressed with a new movie since…..uuhhhh….hang on….

Ghosted by Darc_humor @ 03/22/2004 10:05 AM EST

Ahah! I loved Big Fish!
yeah, that was it.

Please don’t hurt me.

Ghosted by Darc_humor @ 03/22/2004 10:06 AM EST

squee, you lucky dog! I read about that Carnivale screening and I was dying to go. Unfortunately, I live on the wrong coast, so there was no way. Wow, Nick Stahl actually looks pretty good w/ no mud caked onto his face. I didn’t even recognize Clea. So, no news on Jonesy returning? I’ll be so sad if he doesn’t make it. He’s my Carnivale eye candy. So, if Sofie makes it out, will she be pregnant? I can’t wait until next January. Do you read the recaps at Televisionwithoutpity.com?

Uh, topic. Obi-wan. Pizza. Uh, Scope. Crackhouse. Yeah.

Ghosted by trajeal @ 03/22/2004 10:07 AM EST

I was going to retire from XE, but it’s just too difficult.

This Star Wars article popped up at the right time. Two days ago I bought a 1977 stuffed Chewbacca. I wuv Chewy so. Along with a Jar Jar, Amidala, and some other foo’ figure.

That envelope is addressed to a crackhouse, which ties in to Matt’s own joke that he has a druggies hair cut (it was in that haunted house article I think). Maybe Matt’s next adventure should be to get a hair cut, or grow hair, or get a house, or get a house with a trendy hair style. I dunno…regret is setting in for breaking my "No mo’ XE pact". Moo.

Ghosted by Kennef @ 03/22/2004 10:13 AM EST

I remember being interested enough in this offer to wish I had the figure without, you know, sending away for it. I’m not sure why. It think it has something to do with me being lazy as hell.

But my interest was definitely piqued. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but I doubt it: when I was a kid (as opposed to the terribly mature 21 I am now… anyway), I was a sucker for toys that lit up, could glow in the dark, had alternate color schemes, or were transparent. I actually don’t think that’s changed much.

Case in point: I sometimes stare in fascination at my neato clear Gameboy games.

I am become pathetic.

Ghosted by Night_Trekker @ 03/22/2004 11:01 AM EST

trajeal- I’m all about those recaps at TWOP. Carnivale is what first brought me there. Now its a staple of my internet life.

Ghosted by allicat @ 03/22/2004 11:03 AM EST

Mouthwash, mmmmmmmmmmmmmminty.

Ghosted by kingklash @ 03/22/2004 11:36 AM EST

I remember my friend and I tried to collect all of those new action figures when the movies were coming out again. We must have been 15 or 16. The problem was that he wanted to collect all the rare versions of figures so we would end up spending up to 50 dollars on Darth Maul with a long lightsaber or Luke with a different hat.

But we did get the spirit of obi-wan. Oh yes.

Ghosted by Brett_weir @ 03/22/2004 12:05 PM EST

Thumbs up for Dawn of The Dead and Obi Wan.
Good zombie movies are hard to come by these days in the mainstream, and let’s face it, finding a big budget movie featuring relevant social commentary now-a-days is like finding a needle in a hay stack.

Ghosted by BaronVonHotPants @ 03/22/2004 12:15 PM EST

I do read the recaps on TWOP. I wonder how many people found them because of Carnivale? Actually, when I met Diane S. who plays Apollonia, I totally blanked on both her real and character names, and all I could remember was ‘Mommatose’. Re: the pregnancy, Dan K. said that he can’t believe that people would think Sofie is so unlucky as to get laid one time and end up pregnant. So not a yes, but not a no either.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 03/22/2004 1:44 PM EST

What’s Star Wars?

Ghosted by Jarek Thimblebee @ 03/22/2004 2:06 PM EST

great review! laughed out loud at that coo ca racha part. :)

is it just me? or did anyone else hate non posable figures

Ghosted by Freud Savage @ 03/22/2004 2:08 PM EST

For the person who asked:

That’s real snow. The Spirit of Obi-Wan took advantage of what had better be the last snowstorm I see this season, or else.

Ghosted by Matt @ 03/22/2004 2:10 PM EST

Obi looks like he’s wearing glasses…

Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben Ben …..

hilarious!

Ghosted by mwqofh @ 03/22/2004 2:21 PM EST

Is the Spirit of Obi-Wan anything like the Spirit of Christmas? No worries Kennef, the pact was evil anyways, so breaking it was the right thing to do. Now, if I could just quit going to FARK just to find articles that skeeve me out, then go back again and again…. But, like the old movie poster says, If your skin doesn’t crawl, then it’s on too tight.

Ghosted by kingklash @ 03/22/2004 2:39 PM EST

Oh yes, I still have mine. But I thumbed my nose at the hoarding boom, and opened Mr. Kenobi. That gesture means nothing now, since he’s readily available. The craze over this figure was caused by an exclusive Han Solo in Stormtooper gear figure being offered by Corn Pops a year before. Many people passed on Han, and kicked themselves in the ass when he turned out to be worth some cash. So the Spirit of Obi-Wan must’ve looked like a second chance to John Q. Pimplyscalper

Ghosted by Dude McGuy @ 03/22/2004 2:51 PM EST

My favorite exclusive from this era? "SE Luke." The one given away at the RotJ re-release. I managed to snag two — somebody traded me for one of ‘em, and I’m not kidding on the return bounty: well over a hundred packaged figures from various line shoved in three gigantic boxes, plus 60 bucks. People were insane.

Ghosted by Matt @ 03/22/2004 2:53 PM EST

You were luck to get him Matt. I think every theater got 100 of those. I think atleast half of each theater’s supply, was "lost". Either the manager, or some disgruntled snack jockey decided to swipe almost all of them from our local Edward’s.

Ghosted by Dude McGuy @ 03/22/2004 3:07 PM EST

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