08/16/2006 Entry: "August Megaparty #16: Gizmo Gumballs!"

Gizmo was the best pet I never owned. Gremlins came out in 1984, and I was really too young to be making any successful attempts to get my parents or siblings to take me to see it. The promos and trailers rocked my world; I completely glossed over the fact that the reptilian creatures might scare the fuck out of me, instead zeroing in on that shot of Gizmo's cute little hand protruding out of its cool ass cagebox. When the movie finally arrived on video, my family rented it, I snuck into the living room theater, and all was well. The gremmies weren't really scary, but Gizmo was all kinds of motherfuckin cute. I so wanted Gizmo, and when I was five or six years old, it was hard to comprehend the truth of the matter: Gizmo was NOT for sale in real life.

It was as if I was a junkie addicted to a drug that didn't exist. In a world without Gizmos, I took the next best thing: Gizmo dolls. In particular, a 7" plastic Gizmo figure that some idiot idiotically idiotly sold me for two bucks at school. I treated that doll like it had a beating heart.

This Gremlins gumball dispenser is, for all intents, another Gizmo figure. It's not as adorable as the figures I had as a kid, but it's not like that's a shining testament to my own dolls' beauty, because this figural gumball dispenser is goddamned brutal. Setting aside the potential trouble with mustering a sense of animism for a doll that spits candy out of a hole in its stomach, just look at Gizmo's face. It's the toy that comes alive at night to eat you and your family.

Gumballs drop out of Giz's belly when you lift his arm, and now that I think about it, you could kind of pretend the gumballs were baby mogwai balls resulting from the moisture in your fingers seeping into Gizmo's skin as you lifted his arm. It'd really only work well with white gumballs, though. Or better yet, white gumballs with brown trim. Why don't they make those?

See more of Gizmo in my old Gremlins Water Hatchers review.

Chestnuts roasted by Warx @ 08/16/2006 12:55 AM EST

Matt, I can basically attribute my new obsession with the Gremlins movies (both one and two) to your website. I now own all of the NECA Gremlins action figures (including Mohawk from the Cult Classics line), a plush Gizmo, and three smaller plush Gizmos with various facial expressions (including one with a badass Rambo headband). Thanks Matt, and thanks Ebay!

Chestnuts roasted by J Dubs @ 08/16/2006 12:56 AM EST

I was always a big fan of the original Gremlins but I have to attribute to Matt also of becoming a big fan of Gremlins 2. I remember not liking it much before when it first came out but Matt's review of it and bringing up all the good cheesiness of it made me appreciate it to the point I went out and bought the DVD. Now it's one of my favorite movies. Thanks Matt!

Chestnuts roasted by Bob K @ 08/16/2006 01:03 AM EST

The best thing about Gremlins was Hulk Hogan's cameo in the second one.

Chestnuts roasted by Rocky @ 08/16/2006 01:36 AM EST

I once owned the exact same 7 inch Gizmo that was so dear to you. Sadly, when i was younger, i thought if you buried something it would immediately become valuable treasure. Needless to say when i moved i forgot about my underground investment. If you are lucky, you can find Gizmo resting peacefully below, next to the stay puft marshmallow man in the back yard of 63 princeton road elizabeth, nj.

Chestnuts roasted by BOAT @ 08/16/2006 01:40 AM EST

I friggin' loved Gremlins! I didn't even see the movie until I was 19 but such was the power of that little Magwai bastard. The concept of such an awesome pet was enough to make a 5 year old me go nuts! I was scared of the evil Gremlins though. It was that love/hate thing we all had as youngsters with scary stuff—It's cool and compelling but we just can't watch it because we'll never fall asleep again, ever.

I had the Gremlins metal lunchbox. That's right a mother-effin' metal lunchbox—and THERMOS—with Gizmo and his little pink Barbie® car on it. Lord, I miss that thing.

Chestnuts roasted by Chris D. @ 08/16/2006 01:44 AM EST

wow you don't know how long I was laughing picturing a little matt asking his parents for a real live gizmo

Chestnuts roasted by bren @ 08/16/2006 01:45 AM EST

I'll tell everyone this again: When I was around 5 or 6, I was traumatized by Gremlins. Not only did the Gremlins scare the living hell out of me, the fact that they hate light and love the dark was equally as creepy, but the exact opposite happened to me, as I hated turning on lights and opening window shades during the day (still hate it, I have semi-sensitive eyes). I'm pretty much sure this was the one factor that turned me into an anti-social recluse and Geek, maybe for the better.

After trying to see both movies many years later, I still can't bring myself to see the whole things from beginning to end, although I can handle Gizmo-only scenes just fine though.

I was gonna make a topic of movies that tramuatized you when you were young, but incredible cheesy now...We did that already a few months ago. I still say re-link the Chia-Plot articles.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 08/16/2006 01:58 AM EST

I just want to point out that Gremlins 2 had the greatest moment in cinematic history:
When all the Gremlins were in the lobby and just started singing "New York, New York"!

Chestnuts roasted by Tetsu Deinonychus @ 08/16/2006 02:27 AM EST

I would've hated it if they had Gizmo colored gum balls because then it would feel like you were EATING HIS CHILDREN!

I had a hard enough time sleeping as a child, I don't know if I could take the blow to the conscience that is Mogwaicide.

Chestnuts roasted by Hock @ 08/16/2006 02:37 AM EST

Just stumbled into my hotel room in Montreal and found THIS entry- wicked. I just bought a Gizmo at a second hand movie shop here in the city. i swear to God! A furry real Gizmo, just like I have wanted since the damn movie came out. It was either Gizmo or a season of She-Ra, and I think I picked right. $12 well spent. I frigging love Montreal! And I find this whole entry a freaky coincidence. Now, on to more XE before I crash.

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 08/16/2006 03:38 AM EST

i never even knew about the hulk hogan cameo in gremlins 2. but hot-damn! thats the best part about the movie. he uses "dudes", "brother" and "hulkamania" all in the same sentence.

im so glad there is this new commercial free, all movie station now for us western canadians. otherwise i would likely never have been the wiser about this amazing bit of hulkamania.

the movie is even more horrifying watching it now, noticing that the head of security is played by the doctor from voyager. he ends up pretty much doing it with the girl gremlin. very, very scary.

Chestnuts roasted by kevin. @ 08/16/2006 03:59 AM EST

I totally remember those water hatchers, Is it possible that your water hatchers didn't grow do to the amount of time passing? I can recall putting a "Stripe" water hatcher in a bucket and leaving it there for a week. Either the damn thing soaked up all the water or it evaporated, I just remember that it was HUGE. Like the size of a 12' tall Ninja Turle figure, So I guess what I'm saying is it was 12' tall, That would be inches not feet. Also I left it in there so long that when I tried to pick it up, it literally turned to gel in my hands.

Chestnuts roasted by Joker @ 08/16/2006 04:17 AM EST

This is my first time posting here. Hello everyone! Been visiting this site for the last 3 years. Finally have enough courage to post something.

Gremlins rocks! I still have my orginal stuffed Gizmo. I ate the cereal, had the stickers and of course wanted him to come alive too.

By the way.. If anyone has a myspace feel free to add me. It would be kool to talk with people that I can relate to. lol http://www.myspace.com/trebleclef

Chestnuts roasted by Jennifer @ 08/16/2006 04:38 AM EST

Welcome, Jennifer. I know what you mean; I've been reading since years before the blog even, and only just mustered up the pluck to try and slot myself in a couple of weeks ago.

Chestnuts roasted by Daniel85 @ 08/16/2006 06:16 AM EST

Whoo-hoo, Canada! If the mooses weren't enough, there's all sorts of memorabilia! I want somewhere to buy dvd's of old cartoons and fluffy toys no one under the age of eighteen ever wants. Dammit, we wannntsss it, the precioussss. I should open my own store, try to import all sorts of junk from Matt's walk-in closet that he can't walk into anymore. I'll have a massive emporium filled with Isaac Asimov books, antique furniture and the biggest coffee machine anyone's ever seen. "The X" might be a good name - Matt would have his own tribute store!

Chestnuts roasted by arete @ 08/16/2006 07:57 AM EST

I have never seen Gremlins. Although now I feel like I should. I guess I missed out on something big. Why that movie was not a part of my childhood I don't know. What's really odd is that my parents owned a video store back then, and I felt like I had seen everything ever. Hmm.

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 08/16/2006 08:34 AM EST

My dad took me, my brother, and my cousin to see this one Sunday right after it came out. He was a great one for taking us to movies we had no business seeing. The Old Man took me to see Das Boot when I was like four. I think the thing that stayed with me the longest was how darkly funny it is. Like when Phoebe Cates explains why she hates Christmas and my father and I trying hard not to laugh while my brother and cousin had these completely stricken look on their faces. I haven't seen it in years, prolly should refresh my memory.

Oh, and I had a metal Gremlins lunchbox as well. At least until the nuns took it away after my brother and I started smacking each other with them. Man, we were violent kids.

Chestnuts roasted by LemurCat @ 08/16/2006 08:56 AM EST

Gremlins scared the shite out of me. Can't talk about it.
While I knew deep down that my stuffed animals weren't alive, I was always worried I'd hurt their feelings by putting them in the attic or selling them in a garage sale. Anyone else? I rescued so many stuffed animals from the clutches of other kids at my family's garage sale.

Chestnuts roasted by Jessica Marie @ 08/16/2006 09:20 AM EST

I had a huge crush on Phoebe Cates back then.

mogwai

Chestnuts roasted by bad karma @ 08/16/2006 10:24 AM EST

Those are awfully small gumballs. I guess you could put tic-tacs in there afterwards.

Since GM banned me on Internet Explorer (but for some reason not AOL, can't wait till the blog conversion) I'm gonna post here what I would have posted in the Robin Hood and Feito blog entries.

I would have liked to have seen a toyline based on for Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, and commercial mascots. You know you want a Count Chocula figure.

Also, the Robin Hood figure was a recycled Super Powers Green Arrow figure. You can tell by the "G" on the belt.

Never seen Prince of Thieves, but always wanted to. That's another idea for a survey: What movies (either classic, fan favorite, or cult) have you wanted to see but haven't? I'll start. I've only seen bits and pieces of the original Star Wars trilogy, but never watched them in full.

Feito is a now extinct creature that had fur of various colors that was killed by Virginia Holt to make those fuzzy patches in that book.

Chestnuts roasted by JLAJRC @ 08/16/2006 10:35 AM EST

I've always found gumball machines that were shaped like various cartoon/movie/etc characters vaguely disturbing...kinda like you were eating their insides...

Anyways, a little unrelated but you can't help but notice all the English major/English inclined people on here..so here is something for ya'll.
http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/030905/you-can-study-anything.gif

Chestnuts roasted by Tarable @ 08/16/2006 10:57 AM EST

I have bitter memories of Gremlins. It was on TV at my grandma's once and when we got home, my sister said she didn't want to go to sleep because she was scared of the Gremlins. I had a double bed in my room and my parents told me to let her stay with me so we could all get some sleep (and she wouldn't just sit in front of our bedrooms and cry all night.) Well, that one night turned into TWO FREAKIN' YEARS. Did I mention my sister had a tendency to wet the bed? Yeah, still pretty bitter.

Oh, and Jessica Marie, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I find it hard to get rid of my old dolls because I feel like I'm rejecting them, as if they know. Heck, I feel guilty enough keeping them in the garage, like they're out there thinking, "Why don't you love me anymore?" I blame Disney for its constant personification of inanimate objects and burning into our minds that everything we own is secretly aware of everything that goes on. Susie the Blue Coupe still makes me teary...

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 08/16/2006 11:20 AM EST

jesus that giz is creepy, i too had a gizmo figure when i was a wee lad, i think i still have it somewhere, minus the head....poor giz..

and goddammit, for the past three years it has been rediculously rainy on my birthday, thought this year would be different, but alas, forecast for tomorrow is rain, im gonna knife-fight the goddamm weather fairy!!!!

p.s....im also gonna knife-fight greymatter, you hear me greymatter?!? you're goin dooooown!!!

Chestnuts roasted by JoshC @ 08/16/2006 12:08 PM EST

I was pretty young when I saw Gremlins, and I think they scared me. The only part that vividly stands out is when they all get wet and sprout babies, and I know now I wouldn't mind it but I was young, had an overactive imagination, and was easily scared of the dark. I did LOVE Gizmo though, I thought he was the cutest thing ever. =)

Jessica Marie - I can kind of understand where you're coming from.. I had a Teddy Ruxpin (the bear that you put a tape in & it tells a story) when I was young, and after some horrifying nightmare about him jumping out of the closet and attempting to kill me (with a knife!) he was doomed to spend eternity (ironically) in my closet. For a long time, every time I heard a door creak, I though he was trying to get out of the closet to get revenge. Not the same as you hurting your dolls's feelings & them doing nothing about it, but my twisted version. =) For those wondering, one day when I mustered enough courage to look for Teddy Ruxpin, he was gone from his spot in the closet and no one in my house remembers moving him... Dramatic, eh?

Chestnuts roasted by Christine @ 08/16/2006 12:59 PM EST

Add me to the list of being scared out of my mind when I saw Gremlins. I was six at the time. I went to the theater with equal amounts excitement and paralysing terror. I loved that movie. I had a hard time falling asleep the first few nights after watching it, though. I kept waiting for little fuzzy meanies to creep out from behind my bookshelf and get me, but it was worth it.

Ahhh, Gremlins Water Hatchers...fond memories. Man, I LOVED those things. Plus, they actually worked, unlike most "water makes 'em grow" thingies which were basically a sponge shapped like something similar to a brontosaurus or whatever the case may be.

Oooh, and I had the Gremlins backpack. Yup, the one with Gizmo on it that looked like he was riding along in the backpack. Sweet.

Chestnuts roasted by Justin @ 08/16/2006 01:08 PM EST

Speaking of movies that shouldn't have scared me, but did...I was fascinating with Pee Wee's Playhouse and everything Pee Wee related. Needless to say, I loved Pee Wee's Big Adventure...classic. But that freaking Large Marge used to scare the crap out of me. I'd always look away right before she wigged out with the whole claymation face deal. Watching it now, I guess it's understandable that I was scared to death of her freak out. But it's just funny now.

"...And when they pulled the driver's body from the twisted, burning wreck. It looked like this... BLUAGHHAHAGHHHH!!!"

Chestnuts roasted by Justin @ 08/16/2006 01:20 PM EST

maaaan.... sometimes X-E makes me sad, most of the really rad toys/memorabilia we all talk about was not available in my small backwoods province, well, newfoundland(canada, for you crazy yanks and europeans, and i believe there's a few cats from australia that post here, i know for sure theres one dude, who also has his own pretty cool lil' site)Is pretty cool now, way more modern with its own little charm, but when i was a kid it seemed like a different world from everthing i saw on american sat, morning TV, i would'nt move for anything now that im almost 24 and have grown to love this place, but when i was a kid, the states was the place for me, all of my fave. cartoon stars lived there!!
but yeah, sometimes you lucky bastards with your amazing childhood toys and memories mak me a saaad saaaad paaaanda!

Question: anyone else here on my most beloved of blogs from newfoundland by chance?
i know muppetbaby is from newbrunswick, thats close, but alas, no cuban....

Chestnuts roasted by JoshC @ 08/16/2006 01:23 PM EST

Stand in line, JoshC. I've got a case of Lead Pipe Fever I need to take care of when it comes to g-matter. We ought to hold a deathwatch for it. Bon Voyage, greymatter, and don't come back!

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 08/16/2006 01:59 PM EST

I know exactly what you mean Justin. Large Marge has become somewhat of an inside joke amongst my family and close friends. That scene and the scene where francis is in the devil get-up burning pee-wee's bike used to scare the ever loving shit out of me when i was little.

Chestnuts roasted by BOAT @ 08/16/2006 02:16 PM EST

When will greymatter stop torturing me?!!

Chestnuts roasted by Justin @ 08/16/2006 02:51 PM EST

I have a shaweeeeet Gizmo that I picked up at a garage sale like 7 or 8 years ago, and he was rubber and kinda squishy and you could pop his head of, and when I was doing drugs and stuff, Gizmo's head was my little stash spot.

ANYWAY
Gramlins kinda freaked me out, does anyone remember that scene where Phoebe Cates comes out of the pool and unhooks her top and then all those little gremlin balls come flying out of the spot where her breasts are supposed to be... ;;shudder;;

Chestnuts roasted by WonKa @ 08/16/2006 03:54 PM EST

Yet again the X-E/Manimal synergy strikes. This story is not as serendipitous as Muppet Baby's but I SWEAR last night at dinner I told Mrs. Manimal I couldn't wait until Christmas so I could watch (drumroll) GREMLINS! Yowza.

I saw it in the theater in 1984 (all the way through unlike GHOSTBUSTERS for those of you who remember that story). Didn't scare me. In fact, I was imitating the apple eating Gremlin when I got home.
THe only memorablia I had was a pencil bag (still have) and the bendable STRIPE figure (lost to the ages).

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 08/16/2006 05:40 PM EST

2 more quick observations:
1. "When you want a gumball, just lift the arm"??? Seems incredibly weak.
2. No one mentioned that the H. Hogan section is replaced by the John Wayne alternate version in the VHS.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 08/16/2006 06:07 PM EST

I seem to recall various diffrent inserts to the Gremlin 2 movie, Here are a few I have seen.

1) Hulk Hulking out and yelling at the gremlins to turn the projector back on.
2) Hulk Stomping off camera to I assume kick gremlin ass, followed by crashing noises and the projector kicking back on.
3) The film starts skip and then totally goes haywire into a white screen. Two shadows of gremlins come out and start making shadow puppets, starts out simple with birds and horses and stuff, it ends with one of the gremlins making an outline of Abraham Lincoln. This one used to be my favorite as a kid.
4) The movie screws up and a gremlin walks up to the screen and "fixes" it from his side, with what I could assume was supposed to be HI-Larious consequences.

Thats all I can remember right now, but I know there are more.

Kinda like the endings of Clue. I wish movies now days would do that more often.

Chestnuts roasted by Joker @ 08/16/2006 07:05 PM EST

I vividly remember when a group of my neighborhood friends and i would gather in front of the one friends wall in her garage, and pretend to be watching gremlins, like her wall was a movie screen....odd but VERY imagininative people we were....we were like 7 and 5 and 6

Chestnuts roasted by mandy_Reeves @ 08/16/2006 07:08 PM EST

I have seen both the Hulk Hogan and the hand puppet one. Btw, I lost my chance at getting a Gizmo figure waaay back in '84. It was at Tomsriver NJ Kmart, and i could either have a cabbage patch kids bank, which we all thought was porcelain and ended up being cheap ass vinyl(but it lasted 2 yrs so far) or the Gizmo.

Chestnuts roasted by mandy_Reeves @ 08/16/2006 07:11 PM EST

Heck yeah, I'm close to my dolls. It killed me to clear some out last year when I was going through all my stuff and later as I prepared to move. My parents never understood how much my toys meant to me. I have porcelain dolls and good collectable bears on top of the closets. Four of the 2001 Sailor Moon doll line (three bought on eBay, one on sale at KB when the line was originally sold) guard my desk from the forces of evil. More Sailor Moon and my old collectable hard plastic dolls sit on shelves. The bed is so full of stuffed animals, I have to move some of them aside so I can sleep at nights. I bought some ornamental dolls as seasonal decorations a few weeks ago.

Gremlins, blecch. I couldn't stand it. That movie scared the living hell out of me as a kid. I didn't care how cute Gizmo was, or how much my sisters claimed it "wasn't THAT scary" and that I was being babyish for avoiding it. Those cute fluffballs turned into raving monsters when they got wet at the full moon, and that wasn't MY idea of fun. I haven't watched the first movie straight through in years and have never seen the second one, and though I've heard good things about the sequal, I'm not in a hurry to see either.

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 08/16/2006 08:22 PM EST

I thought Large Marge was histerical. As a kid I actually started wearing out that part of my video of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure from rewinding and watching it over and over.

Chestnuts roasted by Mystie @ 08/16/2006 08:53 PM EST

Christine - Teddy Ruxpin, as much as I wanted to own him, always gave me the creeps. It's the pseudo-animatronics. Awesome story, definitely very dramatic!

I actually once had a doll who came with closed eyes - that's just how she was, her closed eyes were part of the mold. There was nothing creepy about her, but where here little eyelids met, there was the smallest space, and at the age of nine I seriously was like "What if the government has put a tiny camera in her head to spy on me and my family?"
Oh - and, I bought two VHS's of the Teddy Ruxpin cartoon a few months ago - so, so bad. The commercials were better.

Chestnuts roasted by Jessica Marie @ 08/16/2006 09:09 PM EST

My sister got Teddy Ruxpin for Christmas. After she got bored with the two tapes he came with, my brother and I would put a headband and a slap bracelet on him and use him to play the Whitesnake and Guns n Roses albums we inherited from our uncle when he went to CDs. Good times.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 08/16/2006 09:24 PM EST

Ah yes, Teddy Ruxpin, My brother used to scare the hell outta me with that thing by putting Black Sabbath tapes in it.

Chestnuts roasted by Joker @ 08/16/2006 09:27 PM EST

While the Gremlins did not scare me, Large Marge did. Still one of my favorite movies though.

I don't know which is worse, the fact that I can't find a decent boxing puppet on ebay or the fact that I want a boxing puppet. Jedoc, this seems like something you could give some insight on.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 08/16/2006 09:59 PM EST

Justin- oh my god, I can't believe I'm not the only one utterly horrified by Large Marge!!! I have never actually seen the entirety of that scene because when I first saw it when I was little, my parents would cover my eyes before she went all spazzo. And to this day, if I watch it again, I automatically close my eyes. One day I'll probably see it and be like, "That's it?" Or have a heart attack. But seriously, I'm so glad not to be the only one.

Chestnuts roasted by Lizzy @ 08/16/2006 10:01 PM EST

My parents took me to see Gremlins in the theater when it first came out. I was, I guess, 6 years old. Apparently my parents were pretty upset because they didn't realize it was going to be as scary as it was.
Weird thing is, though, I don't remember being very scared by it, and I remember thinking it was pretty funny. But The Fantastic Adventures of Unico freaked me out. Go figure.

Chestnuts roasted by Eric @ 08/16/2006 10:32 PM EST

Manimal: Hmm. If you and I have got the same definition of "boxing puppet," then click my name to visit an article with a number of links which (I have to imagine for the sake of my sanity) cover most of the range of boxing puppets available. All I know is that my desire for a boxing nun puppet has gone up 300% upon learning that the traditional model has Margaret Thatcher's face.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 08/16/2006 10:33 PM EST

Strangely, I had a Teddy Ruxpin, and It didn't creep me out at all. I loved it, and I have no idea what happened to it...I probably gave it away.

And I'm also one of those people that can't part with anything, especially stuffed animals, and I tried my hardest to not get rid of the ones on sale at the family garage sale about 10 years ago.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 08/16/2006 10:40 PM EST

Eric - I loved Unico. The first time I saw it I must have been about four, and it didn't really scare me...as I watch it now (finally managed to get a bootleg) I realize it's pretty freaky, especially when the crazy demon prince gets impaled on the turret spire.

Chestnuts roasted by Jessica Marie @ 08/16/2006 10:53 PM EST

Jessica Marie - I had a doll with eyes that closed when on her back & opened when you held her up.. I used to be really creeped out by that too. That's kind of strange about a doll with it's eyes just molded closed.. I regret all of the cool boy-oriented toys that I never had as a child, they always had so many cooler things compared to dolls you could feed and such.

Joker - Sorry about your Teddy Ruxpin scares. If I had the thing now I probably would put tapes into it that weren't specifically designed for it. I never realized when I was younger that you could do that. Maybe I would have liked him more if he sang my favorite songs! =)

Chestnuts roasted by Christine @ 08/16/2006 10:53 PM EST

Heh, Gremlins 2 was on the Scream network (Bell ExpressVu [Canada]) today, and I had to watch some of it because of this article.

Chestnuts roasted by Ronald MacKinnon @ 08/16/2006 11:59 PM EST

Random Gremlins question, but why didn't they multiply when they were walking around in the snow in the first one? It's frozen water!

Chestnuts roasted by J Dubs @ 08/17/2006 12:02 AM EST

Christine - Yeah I don't think it was the Black Sabbath tapes in Teddy Ruxpin that scared me, I just talked to my brother (This site made me want to call him out of the blue, Weird Eh?) He stated that he used to put a Haunted House tape in poor Teddy. So what was a friendly bear that wanted to tell me stories, turned into a Satanic shrieking, Maniacle Laughing, 50 ld. doll of Terror.

I have no idea how much Teddy weighs, I just remember him being heavier than the rest of my toys.

Chestnuts roasted by Joker @ 08/17/2006 12:22 AM EST

I used to collect Gremlins 2 Trading-Cards as a kid that was pretty much the only Gremlins merchandise I had but I always loved the movies.

They didn't scare me until I watched them again at age 12. I had hit puberty and for some reason my hormones made me paranoid instead of horny. I recovered.

BTW The Slumber-Party episode of Peewee's Playhouse (as reviewed here on X-E) was on Adult Swim, tonight.

Chestnuts roasted by Tetsu Deinonychus @ 08/17/2006 01:36 AM EST

Teddy Ruxpin... dear god in heaven that brings back a scary memory.

When my sister and I were little kids we were over at our grandparents house visiting. We went down to the basement (a nice basement with lights and carpeting ect) to get some sodas out of the fridge.

There was a couch and a coffe table with a broken Teddy Ruxpin on it. I believe it belonged to a cousin who left it there because it wasn't working.

Teddy was facing the couch as we walked past, and when we came back through the room with our drinks he was turned around facing us. We stopped and looked and all of a sudden he began to open his mouth.

I don't know if we dropped our sodas or not but we ran like hell to get out of there and then slammed and locked the door at the top of the steps.

Chestnuts roasted by Punisher Bass @ 08/17/2006 05:10 AM EST

That Gizmo is terrifying - like the Carebears. We all know they were evil. No one says they care that often and really means it. Like Unicef.

Of course toys are alive, that's why you can feel them watching you. Has no one else taken note of Toy Story 1 and 2?

Scary toys were always locked in my school suitcase, a little briefcase-sized one with flowery stickers on it. Then they couldn't escape. Or I would lock them in the toybox so they couldn't come out at night and get me. I firmly believed that they "came alive" whenever I wasn't watching them. This explained why they were always somewhere else in the morning if I left them lying around... (Tidied away by my parents? Impossible!)

I felt the same about "models" or dummies in clothing shops - the minute I walked past them they'd turn their heads and stare at me - or they were pretending to be inanimate till I got near enough to eat. Urrgh!

Greymatter (note the English spelling! Yay!) is about to be visited by the Cookie Monster who will eat all their cookies and some of their scones as well. Serve em right! Anyone got like 200 balaclavas? We'll all get together with crowbars and tire-irons and beat seven kinds of crap out of their sophisticated router firewall system!

Chestnuts roasted by arete @ 08/17/2006 07:16 AM EST

Does anyone remember a T.V. special circa 1991 that was the HORROR HALL OF FAME or something??? The Gremlins did NOT get in and they were very upset.
Anyone? Anyone?

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 08/17/2006 07:24 AM EST

I was too in the "scared to death of Large Marge" club. Lately if my nearly 5 year old is up at that hour we have been checking out Pee Wee. I'm not sure if I should feel guilty or not about that. I mean, it was originally made for kids, right?

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 08/17/2006 08:59 AM EST

Tetsu: Don't remind me, I missed it last night because I was out and it's the only one I missed so far.

On the other hand, Tuesday's episode was the Playhouse in Space episode with Zyzzybalubah. (which I mentioned in the last blog)

Also, the first 2 seasons of Pee-wee's Playhouse both ended with some kind of party episode (season 1 was a gift exchange party, and season 2 was a pajama party). Technicaly tonight's episode starts season 3, and keep your fingers crossed if they show the Christmas Special in with the regular episodes, and if they do, it'll air on monday!!

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 08/17/2006 11:54 AM EST

has anyone checked out the new season of the venture bros. yet???
its soooo good!!
ANNNNND matt:
gimme an update for my birthday!!
is it wrong to feel super old even tho today is only my 24th????
cause boy-howdy do i ever....

Chestnuts roasted by JoshC @ 08/17/2006 12:15 PM EST

I'm wondering if today's update will have anything to do with SoaP.

Speaking of, am I the ONLY one NOT freaking out over this? I mean, it looks to be a mildly amusing movie, but I guess it's just not my "thing".

If anyone's gotten a sneak preview yet, lemme know what ya thought.

Chestnuts roasted by bad karma @ 08/17/2006 12:29 PM EST

JoshC--

It's not wrong to feel that way, but you are so not "super old."

I guess it's all relative, because 25 was the first bad one for me, but then the night before 30 I cried myself to sleep wishing I was 25.

Now I'm 31 and I dont give a poo anymore. It's pretty much all the same until I'm 40.

Just enjoy being "super young," because you still are.

Happy birthday!!!

Oh, and the link to Pee-wee's pajama party leads to an old link of a *very* young looking Matt taste-testing Nads hair removal gel. Haven't seen that one before...

Chestnuts roasted by MaryJane @ 08/17/2006 12:35 PM EST

"The building is in FIRE!
Yes, fire, the bringer of life....."
I wish all high-rise emergency systems were that bombastic. Both movies were great. I need to look at CBUB* to see if they ever pitted the Gremlins against anybody. Once they had a fight between Violator and Pennywise that was pretty gory.

*Comic Book Universe Battles

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash vs the marshmallow hamburger @ 08/17/2006 12:41 PM EST

JoshC:

"The Happy Happy Birthday Song"
by the Arrogant Worms

Once a year we celebrate
With stupid hats and plastic plates
The fact that you were able to make
Another trip around the sun

And the whole clan gathers round
And gifts and laughter do abound
And we let out a joyful sound
And sing that stupid song

Happy birthday!
Now you're one year older!
Happy birthday!
Your life still isn't over!
Happy birthday!
You did not accomplish much
But you didn't die this year
I guess that's good enough

So let's drink to your fading health
And hope you don't remind yourself
The chance of finding fame and wealth
Decrease with every year

Does it feel like you're doing laps
And eating food and taking naps
And hoping that someday perhaps
Your life will hold some cheer

Happy birthday!
What have you done that matters?
Happy birthday!
You're starting to get fatter
Happy birthday!
It's downhill from now on
Try not to remind yourself
Your best years are all gone

If cryogenics were all free
Then you could live like walt disney
And live for all eternity
Inside a block of ice

But instead your time is set
This is the only life you get
And though it hasn't ended yet
Sometimes you wish it might

Happy birthday!
You wish you had more money
Happy birthday!
Your life's so sad it's funny
Happy birthday!
How much more can you take?
But your friends are hungry
So just cut the stupid cake

Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday, dear...
(random calling out of names, including ralph, bill, ralph kramden,Skippy, the bush kangaroo, and the b-b-b-b-b-bu-bu-bu- that leads into "dangerous"

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 08/17/2006 01:35 PM EST

THE WIZARD COMES OUT ON DVD ON THE 22ND!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO

Chestnuts roasted by Joker @ 08/17/2006 02:11 PM EST

I was reading the cast credits for "The Wizard" on IMDB when I discovered that Tobey McGuire appears (uncredited) as "Lucas' goon at video armageddon." Funny how celebrities often have small or silly roles before they hit the big time. Anyone remember "Bosom Buddies"? Also, someone needs to have a talk with that Greymatter feller. I have to switch to IE in order to post.

Chestnuts roasted by Hoverbored @ 08/17/2006 03:17 PM EST

totally remember "bosom buddies."

i actually just saw one on regular afternoon tv the other week. don't remember what the episode was about exactly, but they were all kind of the same.

tobey maguire (i know the point of your story was the wizzard, not tobey) was also in "Seduced By Madness: the Diane Borchardt Story", a Lifetime movie made in 1996 ago about a study-hall lady who hired students to do in her husband. true story from the (very) small wisconsin town i'm in right now. don't be jealous.

Chestnuts roasted by MaryJane @ 08/17/2006 03:30 PM EST

hey I know that Pokemon is having there big tenth but i wanna show yall something i found that is very disturbing on ign (dunno if yall saw it already) and it has to do with mew's big BIG secret!!!

Sorry this is off topic but i have my reasons.

Chestnuts roasted by The X-Entertainment Factor @ 08/17/2006 03:33 PM EST

if you guys wouldn't comment so much, the switch from greymatter would be much easier.

Chestnuts roasted by robert @ 08/17/2006 03:49 PM EST

way to bring the comments to a screeching halt, robert

Chestnuts roasted by MaryJane @ 08/17/2006 04:20 PM EST

Joker - That gives me such a great idea. I wish I still had the darn thing, I would totally put Halloween tapes in it and play it on Halloween, sitting next to me, when little kids came to get candy! =)

Punisher Bass - That is such a scary story. That's the kind of stuff that puts you off of animatronic toys forever... At least bear-shaped ones. Sad to say, I got something similar a few years back. It's ridiculously annoying, but I thought it was cute. You can give it a bottle & it moves it's paws up to hold it. It moves more which I think I'd find scarier, but I don't know if anything could beat Teddy's mouth moving. I've always been scared of Furbies coming to life without batteries, for some reason..

Chestnuts roasted by Christine @ 08/17/2006 04:30 PM EST

Now I'm thinking of Teddy Ruxpin stomping through like the bear from Akira, all growly, huge, and bleeding milk. Not to mention umbilical'd to the Pokey the Octopede and singing some song about friendship as they fall over on sleeping X-E posters. It'd be the best pajama party Matt has ever hosted.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 08/17/2006 05:21 PM EST

http://blogs.ign.com/craig-ign/2006/03/21/6813/#comments

lol sorry i for got to put the link

Chestnuts roasted by The X-Entertainment Factor @ 08/17/2006 05:30 PM EST

Christine, your bear was probaly a Fur-Real friends bear.
Funny enough, I was googling TrU Thanksgiving of '05 looking for their black friday sales ad, for above mentioned Bears. they were on sale for 15 instead of 40! and came across an old Toys R Us
ad here on XE! which is how i found the site.

They make a monkey one too..i had that as well, and the scamps playful pup...

Chestnuts roasted by mandy_Reeves @ 08/17/2006 06:23 PM EST

My little furry Gizmo now sits on top of my TV. YAY! It took until I was 24, but I finally own a Gizmo! I always wanted Teddy Ruxpin as well...or that story telling ALF doll. Oh well, someday. Gizmo was top of the list of course.

Gremlins was the first non-cartoon movie I ever rented myself at the video store. I was scared, but wouldn't admit it to my parents, so we got through the entire movie. I was actually much much more scared of the damn book version of the film that came with one of those little RECORDS that you play along as you read....oh man. My cousin and I read the book and played the record while alone in her basement and by the end we were huddled under a blanket together crying.

Maybe that's why Gremlins 2 was funny instead of scary- they probably had a lot of flack from parents after the 1st one, and realized also that kids were their target audience.

I cannot wait to get my hands on my 'Wizard' DVD...see previous blog thread. Fred Savage and I are very close.

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 08/17/2006 06:30 PM EST

Gremlins was fun. That was like a sick and twisted Sesame Street.

Chestnuts roasted by Bert Raccoon @ 08/17/2006 06:34 PM EST

mandy_Reeves - You're right, that is what it is. =) I couldn't think of the name at the moment. That's awesome about you finding them for 15 dollars, that's probably the most I would pay for something with such limited play potential, but I got it as a gift. I didn't know they came in monkey-form too, I just looked them up, that has nightmare-potential written all over it! To me at least... Animatronic monkies seem scarier to me than bears for some reason. =)

Chestnuts roasted by Christine @ 08/17/2006 07:00 PM EST

I guess no one else saw that horror special

Ahhh, Jedoc, I knew you wouldn't let me down. I would like the Abe Lincoln if the likeness was better.

Kingklashwrites the songs that make the whole world sing.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 08/17/2006 08:22 PM EST

Matt, you shouls think about following in Mike Nelson's lead ans start recording commentaries for your favorite goofy movies. That, or contact a DVD comapny like Anchor Bay directly with the idea of actually being on the disc.

Chestnuts roasted by Ty @ 08/17/2006 08:22 PM EST

My Fraggle Rock Complete First Season DVD has arrived. I am ready to share my cares away. My worries? They are for another day.

Chestnuts roasted by Xenophobe @ 08/17/2006 08:28 PM EST

I never had a Gizmo, but desperately wanted one. The closest I got was a fuzzy little Gizmo keychain, which I tried to make my little pet buddy, but it was too tiny and the keychain attachment always drew me out of the fantasy (I didn't rip the chain off for fear of spilling his stuffed guts). Then when that Gizmo furby was around, that looked awesome as well, but I was in high school, and thus "too cool" to go out and buy one. I think about it now, and I missed my chance. Maybe there'll be a big Gremlins revival at some point and I'll finally be able to live my dream.

Chestnuts roasted by Rich @ 08/17/2006 08:49 PM EST

Anyone going to SoaP tonight? If so, I'm jealous. I will be seeing it this weekend...

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 08/17/2006 09:03 PM EST

Xenophobe- I also have season 1 of 'Fraggle Rock'- what a great box set! It is desgined very well, and the show itself is amazing. What do you mean it 'arrived' though? You didn't have it on the shelves of your local Wal-Mart? (that's where I got mine) Glad you have it though!

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 08/17/2006 09:04 PM EST

Just hoping that I could catch the new article before I go to bed when I noticed two spelling/grammar errors in my last post. English majors, I know that it should be "were" not "was" and that there should be a space after Kingklash.
Oh well.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 08/17/2006 09:09 PM EST

Just out of curiousity, what is this SOAP that came out or is coming out that I heard a couple of you talking about? Thanks in advance for any answers.

Chestnuts roasted by Bob K @ 08/17/2006 11:21 PM EST

Bob K- SOAP stands for 'Snakes on a Plane' starring Samuel Motherf**king Jackson! Yeah! (sorry- I am a little excited to see it).
I think I will prefer to get slightly intoxicated (ie high) before going to the theater for this one.

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 08/17/2006 11:33 PM EST

Thanks Muppet Baby. I forgot that was the acronym for Snakes on A Plane. Let us all know how it is after you see it. Thanks again. Puff one for me.

Chestnuts roasted by Bob K @ 08/18/2006 12:10 AM EST

I have a set of of Petro Canada (gas station chain) plastic glasses that have pictures of gremlins on them. I believe it was a promo for the film. Anyways somehow they've stayed in my house for like 20 years or more.

I've always been a huge fan of the movies and everything that went along with them, once again I'm flashing back to my childhood, long live XE!

Chestnuts roasted by Geoff @ 08/18/2006 08:38 AM EST