I'm assuming that one guy is her dad or he's got a really nice car..
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Movie Review: Black Dynamite
I'm not really big on doing movie reviews but I really can't not spread the word about this insanely fun movie. Like a lot of 70s kids, I had a steady dose of so called "Blaxploitation" movies thanks to late night TV, everything from "Shaft" to "Gordy's War" and as a result these anti-heroes became my heroes.
I was a bit cautious when I first heard of this movie mostly because I wondered if it would tread the same ground as "I'm gonna git you sucka" and I've only ever seen lead actor Michael Jai White in stuff like "Spawn", which really wasn't an "actor's movie".
Well, I am pleased to say all reservations were thrown out of the window in the first five minutes. Black Dynamite is as much a parody of Blaxploitation as it is 70s film making, the movie looks and feels so distinct that you could honestly fool people. Boom mikes appear just like they did in "Dolemite", the director has done his homework.
The plot is one we've seen before, Black Dynamite who "drives a $5000 car and wears a $100 suit" is a Kung Fu badass Vietnam vet (where he killed "Chinese People") and superb ladies man, comes back to exact revenge on the drug dealers who killed his baby brother.
Dynamite recruits all the usual characters to help him, the black panthers, drug dealers and of course, pimps in his mission to clean up the streets.
The film's deadpan nature, rapid fire humour and inspired 70s recreation are so good, it reminded me of films like "Airplane!" " Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" and "Kentucky Fried Movie".
Michael Jai White is believable in both his role as a martial arts tough guy and as a comedic leading man, he's absolutely great at delivering some of the goofiest (and quotable) dialogue without so much as a smirk or nod to the audience.
Before the movie's schtick gets stale, the film makers amp up the "ridiculous factor" involving Kung Fu fortresses, secret formulas and well, let's just say Richard Nixon has never looked cooler.
"Black Dynamite" is the most fun and creative spoof I've seen in years, it beats the lazy cheese fests like "Epic Movie" and "Meet the Spartans" with it's superior humour the same way Dynamite uses his nun chucks on the drug dealers in the film.
Check it out on Amazon
Official Site
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Dynamic Duo?
Here's Scott C with another shot from "Frogtown Frolics", at Thompson Park in Colts Neck, NJ. This time it's Batman and Robin and even though Scott admits they looked kinda bogus, it was still a big thrill to meet heroes in costume like this. It looks to me like the 36 year old "boy wonder" in this pic has a perm, "Holy Mike Brady!"
Look for more from Scott next week!
Friday, February 19, 2010
1975 Childworld Flier
As far as 70s toystores go, none are as far remembered and beloved as Childworld, a chain which had at one point 180 stores across the united states. This 1975 flier preserves what they had to offer during that time including the greats like Mego Star Trek and Planet of the Apes:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Diener heads for outer space
Toyfair 1978: It seemed like every toy company everywhere was blasting off into space this year hoping to get some "galactic windfall"
Programming Barbie: readying for '72
Toyfair 1972: Right now a Barbie sized laptop has more memory than all of those computers combined..
Monday, February 15, 2010
Colorforms: Ready for the next 25 years
Toyfair 1978- Those "Space Warrior" sets are something that confused me a great deal as a kid, I wondered if those amazing action figures were inside the boxes or if they were available seperately. Sadly they were called "The Outer Space Men" released and cancelled well before I was born.
Luckily, the lines creator Mel Birnkrant is extremely generous with his time and explains everything on his amazing website. To learn more about these "Space Warrior" sets please visit this page.
Tomland: Gazing into the Future
Toyfair 1978- Most collectors know Tomland for their cool Alien and Monster toys, I wish I knew more about the company itself.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Schaper creates Tobor the robot
Toy Fair 1978- Tobor is robot spelled backwards, that blew my seven year old mind....
Horsman's Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Toy Fair 1972- An Angela Lansbury doll with an "Action Bed" accessory? I'm sooooooooo there!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
A Hug from the Hulk
Scott sent in this first in a series of three awesome pics that were taken at an event called the "Frogtown Frolics", at Thompson Park in Colts Neck, NJ. It's an appearance by the late 70s Marvel Hulk costume. Scott also laments that when Spider-Woman visited Child World in 1981, he couldn't get close enough to her as he had a big crush on her. That's something I totally get, I still have a thing for that character...
Look for more from Scott next week!
Plaidstallions 3rd Annual Retro Toy Fair
Ha, three years with the same graphic! It's that time of year ago again where I use the American Toy Fair as an excuse to delve into articles and items from previous Toy Fairs. This year I plan to jump around a bit and focus on no specific year and also there will be hopefully be some coverage from the current toy fair as well.
Retro Toyfair coverage begins tomorrow, it's going to be a fun one with a few surprises.
For now enjoy the Previous Retro Toy Fairs.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Odeon Toys to Re-Release Brick Mantooth Action Figure
Recently ressurected toy maker Odeon Toys (http://www.odeontoys.com/) announced today that they would be re releasing their hit action figure "Brick Mantooth: Action Model" to toy stores in 2010.
Released originally in 1975, the Mantooth doll was a tremendous hit which current Odeon toys president Victor Machismo Sr attributes to one key factor, manliness. "Brick had more testosterone than any other toy on the market, he was more bionic than Steve Austin, his fists smashed through GI Joe's puny Kung fu Grip" Machismo adds " And Big Jim took one look at Brick and ran like the fancy little princess that he was"
While Odeon released a number of outfits and vehicles for Brick including the "Mantooth Party Van", current releases for Odeon Toys simply include the original action figure and potentially some of his "manmates" outfits.
The Brick Mantooth doll will come as shown and sold in a replica solid box at the Plaidstallions.com website. It will be on display at the EMCE toys booth at this weekend's 2010 Toy Fair (http://www.emcetoys.com/). For more on Odeon toys please check out their website http://www.odeontoys.com/
Be sure to check out the Mego Museum today for an equally cool announcement regarding all things 8 inch action figures.
Visit the Mego Museum Forum for more good news!
Just an aside, this is totally legit, no foolin', I'm making a Brick Mantooth action figure in 2010.
Many thanks to my creative partners in crime, Scott C Adams, Steve Moore and Sean Sansom, Joe and Paul from EMCE for the tremendous help to make this dream come true!
Stay Tuned!
The PlaidStallions Dress Alike Love Spectacular
With Valentines day around the corner, it was high time we here at Plaidstallions paid tribute to the single greatest act of love possible, wearing a matching outfit with your partner. This wonderful act says to your partner, "no matter how girly, no matter how many teens openly mock me, the whole world will know by looking at us, that we probably came in the same car".
Gentlemen, surprise your spouses this year by wearing matching blouses, it's a reward unto itself. Here are some couples whose love knows no shame:
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Toy Questions Part 1: Flying Aces
I've decided to allocate some time to the recurring trend of email I get on the site, other than the constant one of "How much for the Stretch Armstrong?" (For the record, I don't even own one myself) most people write me for the name of a toy and I'm noticing a recurring trend with certain toys, so during the month of February, I'll try to cover the majority of them.
So to answer the recurring email of "I had this aircraft carrier that fired soft foam planes" what you had as a kid was Mattel's Flying Aces (pictured above). There was more than one set in this series and all good toy geeks know it was also revamped for Battlestar Galactica.
Flying Aces by all accounts looks like a super fun toy but I've been told by 70s kids everywhere that the planes were easily made less than aerodynamic through regular play. Now that you know the name, please run, don't walk to ebay...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
PlaidStallions First Sponsor : Odeon Toys
I'm very pleased/totally surprised to have my first corporate sponsor here at PlaidStallions, the good people at Odeon Toys. It's an odd story how this came to be and goes to show you how fate works in funny ways.
A couple of months back I won this catalog on Ebay, I'd never heard of Odeon before but the description listed a lot of great mid 1970s licenses like Planet of the Apes so I went ahead and won it.
Immediately after I receieved an email from a man named Victor Machismo Jr, who claimed to not only to be the son of the President of Odeon but the current president of the reformed Odeon toy company that would be putting out product in 2010!
ODEONTOYS.COM
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