X-Entertainment's Christmas Season & Advent Calendar, 2008.

09/29/2008: Halloween Countdown ‘08: Mezco “Screen Grabs!”

Another week, another five days of hot Halloween action on X-E. In case you missed it, this is the last day to get your entries in for the Whatever-O’-Lantern contest. I said that all entries had to be in by noon, but since a few of you asked for extensions, let’s say by 8 PM. Though I do wonder if anyone’s seriously going to take off from work or school to carve a pumpkin face into a crenshaw melon.

I promised that this week’s run of Countdown entries would provide a more sinister slant, and these toys are nothing if not sinister. I don’t know if they’re quite “new” and I can’t be bothered to check, but whether they’ve been around for a year or just a few weeks, they’re worth your wallets all the same. From Mezco, it’s the Screen Grabs horror collection!

Mezco is among the handful of “mature toy” companies that have really kept the spirit of scary movie franchises alive, even when there’s a draught of, you know, actual scary movies. In particular, the big time slasher characters have been invigorated and reinvigorated time and time again, with more figures, dolls, wall hangings and doodads than I could ever hope to cover. While Mezco couldn’t be considered the leader of this awful initiative, their stuff is often more inspired than the rest. These things are some of the cases-in-point.

The Screen Grabs series has a simple and awesome premise. Mezco created neat dioramas based on what could be considered the most famous screengrabs (as in, still photos swiped from DVDs) from a volley of slasher flicks. The boxes sometimes name the incorrect movie in each series to match up with the diorama, and the settings aren’t always 100% faithful to the movies they’re based on, but let’s forgive ‘em for these few minor offenses. I’d prefer to save my nitpicks for when I’m reviewing something more important and life-altering, like, say, Franken Berry Fruit By The Foot.

I picked up all three of the currently available Screen Grabs, so I guess future editions are contingent upon all of you buying these. First up is this swank Texas Chainsaw Massacre diorama, and yes, I realize that it’s technically incorrect not to separate “Chainsaw” into two words. I can’t help it; they belong together.

Based on the classic “mallet smack” scene staged from inside the cannibalistic Sawyer family’s rather interesting abode, here we have Leatherface nailing Jerry across the head with a big meat mallet. If this was a totally faithful recreation, Jerry’s shirt would have a disco hula theme.

Of particular interest is the recreation of the wall leading into Leatherface’s zen room, covered with a bunch of weird bones and shit. That red wall fascinated the fuck out of me in the old movie. It’s one thing to wear skin masks and eat people, but it’s another to nail cow and chicken bones all over the wall. As the sole item in my collection featuring an action figure getting bonked in the head with a giant mallet, this one’s a keeper.

But Leatherface wasn’t the only slasher to see a second of his life rendered in chemical-stinking plastic…

From A Nightmare of Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, this diorama celebrates the scene where Freddy morphs into a green snake and tries to eat Patricia Arquette. Not a sentence that I’ll have the chance to type many times in my life.

There were many diorama-worthy scenes in Dream Warriors, and while I don’t know if this would be the one I would’ve picked, I guess I can understand Mezco’s enthusiasm for recreating the scene where Freddy turned into a big green dick. Actually, during filming, the snake was originally painted in Freddy’s usual fleshy tones, which the crew found so phallic that they repainted it green as a precaution. End result? Green snake, but not without some level of subconscious Freudian symbolism going on.

Only thing that’s a little off about this diorama is Ms. Arquette. I understand her figure’s need to look a bit jostled, being eaten by a snake and all, but I still think it lacks the innate cuteness of the character. The face is kinda ugly and Linda Blairish. I would’ve settled for a less interesting diorama scene if it meant getting a cuter Patricia Arquette figure. Like, maybe the scene where she eats coffee beans and builds Freddy’s house out of popsicle sticks. God I love Dream Warriors.

I much prefer Jason over Freddy and Leatherface, but this Friday the 13th diorama is probably my least favorite. For one, the overall shape is a little clunky when compared to the other two, which could work as bookends assuming you need to organize excessively lightweight reading material. For two, the scale is off. Alice’s canoe seems more like a large boot, and Jason seems like a fully-grown Mongoloid adult in terms of his size relationship to Alice. For three, I hate any toys that try to capture water in mid-splash. I don’t know why.

Plastic recreations of Jason in his youthful lake zombie form tend to be less than faithful, for no sculptor and no painter can resist the temptation to make him “more than he was.” In truth, he just looked like a bumpy-headed bald kid with lake mud all over him, but the toys that correspond to this usually grey his skin and “overdo” him. On the other hand, this is the only diorama in the Screen Grabs collection with two points of articulation. The others just have one, but here, both Jason and Alice’s right arms can be repositioned. If you work at it, you can even make them hold hands. But then you wouldn’t be paying homage to the first Friday the 13th movie, but rather, the fanfic I wrote in high school.

This is as good a time as any to link back to my Many Faces of Jason article.

Companies like Mezco are really doing us a great service, whether you’re into dumb toys, dumb horror movies, or ideally, both. Buying toys that were meant for people your age takes a little of the edge off, and really, no company that even remotely caters to youthful audiences could get away with stuff so bloody and depraved. Thumbs up on these, despite Patricia Arquette looking like ass.

Wow, those things look pretty cool. I totally forgot about worm Freddy from Dream Warriors.

Man, I saw that Chainsaw one last year in the mall and wanted it so bad…. until I saw it was like $800 million dollars. It kills me how expensive toys are now :/

I can’t decide which is more disturbing - Leatherface’s wall, or the giant green dick?

Rocky, you do not forget worm Freddy from Dream Warriors. If you forget worm Freddy from Dream Warriors, that means you forgot Dream Warriors.

Those screengrabs are really pretty cool, I would love to see the idea used for something like videogames though.
Still though, these Halloween posts getting more and more amazing!

Platinum: You can buy them from Mezco directly for sixteen bucks by <a href=”http://www.mezcotoyz.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=516″ target=”blank”>clicking here</a>, though I suspect they are cheaper on eBay — which is good, because they aren’t worth sixteen bucks a pop.

frakky- freddy ftw. just because even though he may be green we all know what he looked like in the flick.

AWESOME models! Even though Jason is my fav character, the F13 model is my least fav too. And just for the record, I think Dream Warriors is the best Freddy flick. Well, next to the one where he fights Jason.

Righteous post as always, Matt. The missus and I sat through Ft13th part II on Chiller (commercials and edits - boooo). She was seeing it for the first time. So with that image of the boat scene fresh in my mind, I agree with your assessment: the Screen Shots Jason is almost handsome!! (if not for the lumpy scabby head) Movie Jason looks like he just floated up from the bottom of the lake.

hey matt, i’m trying to track down some of the previous art competitions from the halloween countdown, but i’m having trouble finding them in the archives. I don’t suppose you link to them for those that want to bask in their previous entries of yesteryears.

scratch that, i found the one i was looking for, i didnt realize i had been participating in countdown since as far back as 2004.

Can anyone think of a particular scene from a horror movie that would make an awesome ’scene it’ diorama? And would it be marketable?

Movie or no, Clive Barkers ‘Tortured Souls’ line from McFarlane Toys are still the most disturbing figures you can own. I own the fat guy with his gut cut open, being eaten by small demons hanging from chains. I would gladdly display it as a table centerpiece around halloween, but my girlfriend would yell at me.

I don’t know if this qualifies as horror, but how about that scene from Beetlejuice when Lydia walks in on Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin right after they use their undead mojo to pop their eyes out and distort their faces? I’m actually working on a charcoal drawing of that scene and it’s awesome, but now I’m totally thinking diorama.

Was dream warriors the one where 1 of them is parachuting..an freddie cuts the strings..and as the kid falls he places a bed of nails for him to land on? I laughted out loud at that one! :/

Yo Matt, what are your plans for Halloween? Have you considered Vegas? You should. My friends and I are going and we’ve got some big plans for the evening. If you’re interested, I have 2 rooms at the Mirage and at least $100 toward your plane fare. More if we come up at the blackjack tables, which we most certainly will. We will also be absolutely fucking hammered and wearing sick costumes so we are sure to win bigger than ever. The trip is co-ed and the girls coming with us are awesome so bring your chick.

And even if you don’t join us for the evening, keep my email and hit me up the next time you’re thinking about taking one of those shitty cruises. Come stay at my place instead. Lake Tahoe CA, Easily in the top 5 most beautiful places in America. I live in a big house right by the lake and about 15 minutes away from the nevada state line and some kickass casinos. If you ski or snowboard, I can get you free tickets to ride at Squaw Valley every day that you wanna go or if it’s summer I can show you all manner of fun things to do. Things like relaxing on my friend’s millionaire-ass boat, riding jet skis, wakeboarding, listening to Michael Jackson, and drinking Wet Woodies (A delicious peach/mango Slurpee with 4 kinds of booze in it, topped with a 151 floater). I’m serious. I did the above almost every day I was off this summer. So yeah, consider all that. You’ve got a room in Tahoe any time you ever want to take it for as long as you want. I feel like I owe it to you for all of the fun your site has brought into our lives over the years.

Mezco has picked up nicely where McFarlane left off.
I love the fact that they are intended for mature audiences, but still need to put the “Warning! Choking Hazard” label on the box.

Oh, I didn’t know Mezco made more stuff like this. There’s one with Freddys claw coming out of the bathwater between Nancy’s legs from the first NOES. I really, really want that one.

The Screen Grabs are awesome, I can think of a few better scenes that could have been depicted from Dream Warriors, how about the one where Freddy is Shooting up the junkie chick in the alley, or the above mentioned Marionette Walk off a building. I’ve always been more of a Freddy Dude over Jason. Have any of you bought the Todd MacFarlate Movie Posters? I have the Friday 13th one, it ROCKS! Great Bloody Post Matt.

Matt: Great review and extra points for doing all 3 in one review, you could have easily spread those over 3 seperate entries this week but you didn’t and we applaud you. I can’t wait to see what ideas people came up with for the contest. Keep up the good work Matt.

What fun Halloween things are there to be done in NYC? It falls on a Friday this year, so I won’t even be in a foul mood.

Rev: There’s the parade, which is pure insanity, and I expect it will be five times the usual insanity due to Halloween falling on a Friday. There are also a couple of adult haunted house attractions.

I have not been to the parade in about 7 years. The last time I went, a man in a jock strap and a leather hat humped my leg a little.

I think I’m better equipped for that kind of business now that I’m older and wiser. Maybe I will go this year!

Oooh Mezco Toys had some of the best stuff I saw at all of Comic-Con, especially the F13 gear. They’ve also got the Grems, TMNT, Christmas Story and something known self-explanatorily as “Gangsta Babies”.

They should totally do a BasketCase one - though what scene? I’m torn between Toilet-time Belial; and Belial in panty sniffing mode. Maybe we should petition for both?

Wow….those screen grabs look pretty sweet. I hereby declare we start a petition to make a screen grab of the infamous Buffalo Bill/Jame Gumb dick tucked between his legs and lotion in the basket scene. Or where Hannibal serves that guys brains directly out of the guys own head for the guy and clarice to eat.

As for other dioramas:
Halloween: How about MM in his ghost costume? Or when he breaks through the closet to attack Laurie?

Child’s Play: The scene where Chucky jumps from the school closet to kill the teacher? Or Chucky’s death scene where he’s all burned/decapitated but still alive? Or how about the scenes in the factory in Childs Play too? The security guard dying by having toy eyes blind him is pretty creepy.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Shadow Puppet death scenes. Or that giant clown. Or the pizza delivery scene.

Little Shop of Horrors: Audrey II singing “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” with all the little Audreys.

How about the scene in Day of the Dead where the head army fucker gets ripped in half by the zombies.

What do you call that thing that you stand on, and hold the bars, and you can jump on it? There is a spring and it bounces. My mind is drawing a blank.

In any case, Leprechaun used one of those with a spike on the end of it, and jumped all over this dude’s chest. That would be a good screen grab.

If someone could please tell me the name of that thing so I can proceed with my life, I would be eternally grateful. All I keep coming up with is trampoline and unicycle, neither of which is what I want.

I feel like a new woman now. That was going to distract me all day. I feel a little bad about making a meatloaf out of you now.

Man now we have till 8 to do our carving

Now I’m sad I did a rush job. Oh well too late.

I agree that with Dream Warriors there would have been plenty of other scenes that would have been better to use but either way I feel the need to watch it again after seeing that.

I have sent in my entry, a quick and cheap one. But it didn’t take as well as I wanted.

The scene I would like to see as a Screen Grab is the last shot from Phantasm. You know, the “Yes, just tell yourself it’s all a dream!” bit.

Another favorite: Wishmaster, when the djinn grants the prisoner’s wish to go right through those prison bars. AS YOU WISH.

In other news. You all have to come to my house tonight. My husband is working late and Richard Ramirez has been hiding in the driveway outside my apartment. If he finds out I’m alone in there, he’s going to come in and cut out my eyes. I will make you all dinner and cake, but I can’t be left alone with Richard Ramirez. I think he’s got the Green River Killer out there with him as well.

I have a bunch of McFarlane’s Movie Maniacs figures, as well as the earlier “classic” monster stuff he did, with the elaborate playsets and stuff. I’d so put them out as Halloween decorations, but don’t know where they are. If I weren’t currently a freaking invalid, I’d find ‘em.

Rev.: Since I believe we are somewhat far away from one another, I can be there for you only in spirit. I will focus my energy and send you vibes that should help you feel safe. Or, they may just make you want a bottle of wine!

Speaking of McFarlane’s figurines, I really want his twisted fairy tale statues. I especially like the Red Riding Hood one.

Hannibal Lecter. Now there’s the kind of man who could really win my heart. Whenever I am stuck for how to proceed through life’s debacles, I think to myself, WWHLD? And whatever I come up with is usually the right answer.

I love a cannibal with style. Hannibal has class and culture in everything he does. He doesn’t even just gorge on all the nasty parts of human biology - he prepares a fine dinner out of them, with wine!

If Hannibal Lecter were staying with me tonight, I’d be safe from that amateur Richard Ramirez for sure.

First of all, you all realize this is my first post on the X-E Halloween countdown? As usual, it seems as though I’m never missed.

Anyway, I didn’t know that it was Patricia Arquette that was in NOES3. Actually, when I read it, I was thinking ROSANNA Arquette and not Patricia since that’s the only Arquette I’m familiar with. Oh well, they’re both cuties so forgive me for my little mistake.

I have an idea for a diorama. It may not be horro but it is a Halloween scene. How about the scene in E.T. when Michael and Elliott are walking with E.T. in a ghost sheet. I think the part where the kid in a Yoda costume approaches and E.T. walks over to him saying, “Home, home” is the BEST moment you can capture from that scene.

Anyway, bottom line, I’ve been busy so that’s why I haven’t been posting. I’m behind a few entries but I hope to back on track with those soon. I finally saw Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” this weekend. Quite different from the original but also the same. Also, to get into my Halloween horror movie watch, I also rented but only got about halfway through Halloween II. Don’t worry, I plan to finish watching it tonight.

Well, I gotta get going now, but I’ll be back later. Also, I’m all for Dream Warriors this weekend. You got me in the mood to rent it this weekend, and I think I would have to also rent Halloween 3, 4, and 5. I want to finish off the Halloween series so I can get to other horror franchises while the season’s still on such as Hellraiser and Child’s Play since I’ve never seen any of those movies. Okay, gotta go!

How about Rocky Horror with everyone doing the Time Warp? Or at the very least, the reveal of Eddie in the dinner scene.

Oh crap! i totally forgot about the time zone thingy. Living in Denmark would have given me a regular time orgy to finish the damn thing instead of submitting a half-assed hackjob

Don’t worry Matt, Mezco made sure to give you a Dream Warriors alternative to go with.

Was dream warriors the one where 1 of them is parachuting..an freddie cuts the strings..and as the kid falls he places a bed of nails for him to land on? I laughted out loud at that one! :/

LOL now I am being a post dork by posting again… I was just thinking. Did anyone get used to seeing the beginning scene of NOES 3 with the generic music that seemed to be on the video version previously when Kirsten was eating a spoonful of coffee, drinking Diet Coke and her Mom walks in? It blew me away a bit when I got the DVD boxset and Dokken’s Into the Fire was all of a sudden inserted into that scene. I had seen Into the Fire was on the original credits (and probably on some other version of the movie was the actual music) but I have watched Dream Warriors like 100 times the other way and it threw me off when the music was different.

Mezco gets some great licenses. I usually find they make the heads a tiny bit large in proportion to the bodies, but these ones seem alright, at least in the photos. I have their Goonies and Heroes figure lines, and while a big head suits Chunk and Sloth, Corey Feldman’s head is a bit big.

The TCM one looks the best, but they really dropped the ball on the Nightmare on Elm Street one. That movie had so many great Freddy moments, and they picked one of the weaker beats to sculpt. Here’s hoping they get the job done right next time!

How about they do the scene from the Dream Warrior music video where Freddy covers his ears in pain from Dokken singing to him? Or he wakes up with that teddy bear?

How about when Alice Cooper pulls the Jason mask off his face in “Man Behind the Mask” music video?

Has anyone seen the Friday the 13th Special: The Men Who Were Jason & the Ladies of Crystal Lake? It’s on tonight, and frankly, I’m quite excited.

Clockwork: What channel is that showing on? And how is it listed? So far I’m not seeing a listing for it but would love to see it! Thanks

Clockwork: When and what channel is it on? I am home alone with nothing to do tonight, and that would make the evening worthwile.

I miss the days when such images were called “Screen Grabs”. Now they’re called Screencaps or Screen Captures. “Screen Grabs” is such a throwback 90s term, it takes me back to the days of the old MST3K’s Caption This site.

It’s on Monsters HD which I’ve come to realize few people on this site actually have. I don’t know if it’s new or not, but I’ve never heard of it before.

Have these been around for a while? I think I may have seen a Pinhead one at some point…

MessiahRp: I know what you mean about the Dokken song. The first time I popped in Nightmare 3 and a different song played at the begining I was suprised. I got the box set a while ago, and hadn’t seen Dream Warriors for a while at that point. The video made by Dokken made me think the Dream Warriors song would be at the begining of the flick, instead of the end.
As for another scene that would make a good diorama? I suggest the scene in Hellraiser 2 where Pinhead and the other cenobites fight Dr.Channard.

I think a good scene from NOES3 would be the end, Nancy vs Freddy. Though that ending makes me sad. (Not as sad as the original screenplay’s ending thought!) I <3 Nightmare.. but you all seem to know that already.

Dokken is awesome.
Comments about Dokken not being awesome make me a sad kitty.
These figures are gross. Patricia Arquette looks absolutely terrible, but that seems to be the best figure, just for the green phallus with eyes eating her legs. And that’s the truth.

Another good scene would be near the end of the first Hellraiser . When the Cenobites get Frank for escaping from them earlier in the flick.

I’d like to see somebody pull off a diorama of Carol Anne getting sucked into the closet. Or the part with the big skeletal monster in front of the door. It’d be pretty hard to make them look good though, since there are a lot of crazy lighting effects in that movie.

I could have sworn the second series of those were already out. I might be wrong though.

It may be blasphemy, but the only one of the first series I like is the Texas Chain Saw Massacre one. The Friday the 13th one is very off to me and I can think of quite a few scenes in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies that were more memorable to me.

As much as I love Dokken I still thing the Goo Goo Dolls had a better NOES song.

The “Mallet Smack” scene in TCM still gives me the willys. The whole dead man shake really got to me as a kid.

There’s SO many scenes in the Evil Dead series that are ripe for the pickin for the diorama treatment.

Richard Ramirez is right outside. I can hear him scratching around in the trash cans. Won’t someone rid me of this turbulent serial killer?!?

Personally, I would rather have one of these (click my name), as far as Nightmare on Elm Street merch goes.

That would be great Martian Mepy. And he could say, “Choke on them”
whenever you push a button on him.

Rev: are you sure that isn’t AC/DC rummaging around your garbage, inspired by Ricky Ramirez in some kind of circular inspire-athon mayhem?

Aw man, maybe they should do a series of NOES-music video screen grabs. One with Freddy and Alice cooper would be so sweet

Sorry, Martian Meepy. Here’s one. Mezco can make one with Jason killing that guy in the wheelchair.

Mr. Hate, It was Richard Ramirez - the Night Stalker! I whacked him in half with a sword.

This evening started off like many horror movies do - I came home, searched teh apartment for intruders, and then walked around in my underwear for a while. That usually lures out the homicidal maniacs.

The trouble with being a homicidal maniac in MY house is, you’re never expecting to find ANOTHER homicidal maniac, walking around in her underwear.

Uh, sorry, not my speed. They look a little TOO realistic for my taste. I prefer the cuter side of Halloween to the scarier side.

To me Halloweens all about being scary. Makin things that were meant to be scary look cute, just doesn’t work for me.

Rev: I added you to my MySpace friends list and I even sent you a comment. Not going to repeat what I said on there here but in a nutshell, thanks!

October = sweaters and boots and Lovecraft and gin and vodka and pie and the soundtrack is by Tom Waits. When I’m old and grisly, I sure hope I sound a little like him. I’d better start smoking those cigars double time.

Contest deadline has passed, all entries have been received. Wow, there are a lot of really random entries for this one. :) And right now I really don’t think there’s a clear winner…will be tough to decide.

Hey, Bill Murray is interested in making the third Ghostbusters!
(Sorry if it’s old news!)
I’m still reading, just haven’t posted.

the fair hits our area every Halloween, you just can’t beat that for a setting. especially since there is a dark pond right smack in the middle of it. just enough creepy and Carnival-like to make you want more.

Rev: I agree. I’m ready for October to start. September has been pretty brutal. BTW have you heard anymore homicidal maniacs running around? lol

Now can’t you just see something bad happening there? How about this right over that dark water they have a ski lift and power lines and a fireworks show. I mean this place Just asks for it. I don’t even want to know what’s on that island.

Slick316, funny you should ask. I just took the fight right out of Ted Bundy who was lurking in my closet. He won’t get far without THESE handy things.

I made a, I just found out about this contest this morning, so I didn’t do one-o-lantern….it goes great with my, even though I had a few hours I still couldn’t come up with something clever-o-lantern. Can’t wait to see what everyone else did, if they are half as good as the Dancing Jason art, they will be Awesomely Awesome….why the hell did I saw awesomely awesome?!!?

Whoa..whoa..whoa. Frankenberry Fruit by the foot? I,ve heard these words in a dream once..

Shark: I can’t wait to see the entries either. Should be pretty entertaining.

Ricky - Thanks! and for saying I’m awesome, that makes you awesome in my book.

Man, I had the best idea on Sunday night but there was no time or energy to make it happen. Let’s just say it included Dorothy Zbornack and meat.

I must say, I was a bit surprised when I saw the jack o lantern on the home page. Tis the same one I used as my background image on my myspace page. It’s awesome.

I don’t understand. At no point in any of the Friday the 13th movies does Macaulay Culkin ever give a backrub to Conan O’Brien.

X-E contests are fun. I can’t wait for the next one. A Phantasm diorama would be cool. As would a Childs Play one.

Franken Berry Fruit By The Foot? Why didn’t I know that product ever existed?????

I wrote a review of the booberry and frankenberry fruit by the foot last year in november on my blog. So I am kind of curious what you are going to write about them Matt.

So Halloween Resurrection is on Fox and the beginning credits say “special guest appearance Tyra Banks”. How can a movie have a special guest appearance?

Mezco has succeeded in bringing awesome back to our shelves! Well, honestly, Mezco and NECA. If not for them, I wouldn’t have my sweet Leatherface-Skinning-A-Victim diorama. And I’m not sure, but I think Mezco has put out some sweet action figures as well. My favorite of their series has to be the Nancy from the first Nightmare on Elm Street. Dude, she’s in the tub with Freddy’s clawed hand reaching for her. How awesome is that for an action figure/diorama?!

Thanks for covering these Matt! I’ve been looking at Mezco’s stuff for a number of years and though I like that they’re doing some original different things with the 80s slasher licenses, I can’t help but feel like a lot of their stuff has a goofy “muppet babies”-like head-too-big-for-body look to it. I don’t like my horror stuff bobble-head goofy. Just sayin’…

There is Boo Berry Fruit by the Foot!? That is unspeakably wonderful. I must find it!

Anyone that has Monsters HD, if you can record the Friday the 13th featurette and Halloween: Faces of Fear, please let me know. I’ve been wanting to see these for a while now. They are on October 26th and 27th on Monsters HD.

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