News

Netflix has finally announced the release date of the third season of the Korean series »Sweet Home«. On July 19, the battle against the evil monsters continues. Since the series is based on a webtoon, it was already clear that the story hasn't reached its end with season 2. The official teaser reveals a lot:
https://youtu.be/O58zd29SQ50

After losing his family in a terrible accident, the high school student Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) now lives in an old apartment complex on his own. As it becomes obvious that monsters are about to devour the world, he joins forces with the other residents to barricade themselves. Despite the circumstances, the survivors try to preserve their humanity and to not mutate into monsters. For Hyun-su, however, this turns out to be the biggest difficulty.

With the beginning of a monster apocalypse, the first season of »Sweet Home« instantly attracted attention. Unfortunately the following season received mixed reviews. It was trying to tell too many stories at once, which apparently made it hard for viewers to always keep an overview. But with the first teaser for season 3, Netflix seemingly manages to calm the spirits and makes the grand finale worth a watch.

Exactly 40 years ago on this day, a movie that - like so many other great movies from the 80's - surely amazed many of us and left its mark was hitting American cinemas: THE KARATE KID!

Writer Robert Mark Kamen and director John G. Avildsen (who by the way also made »Rocky« part 1 and 5) in 1984 told us the wonderful hero's journey of Daniel LaRusso with which probably millions of kids of that age were able to perfectly identify. Who of us didn't have that crush on Ali aswell, who didn't also start to take Karate lessons (or at least wished to be trailned by Mr. Miyagi, like Daniel-san) and who did not try at least one or even one thousand times to catch a fly with chopsticks ;)?

On the other hand, »The Karate Kid« maybe even was the first enounter with chopsticks or Japanese culture ever. The movie defintely had its fascination in this direction aswell. No wonder that the charismatic Pat Morita gained a nomination for an Academy Award as best supporting actor for his role as the mentor! Mr. Miyagi and his quotes becaume cult.

In the next couple of years, the less successful sequels followed, with »The Karate Kid Part II« (1986) and »The Karate Kid Part III« (1989), both with the duo Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in the leading roles and still under the direction of John G. Avildsen. In part 4 from 1994 (»The Next Karate Kid«), the yet unknown Hilary Swank was trained by Mr. Miyagi. And then there was the remake from 2010 with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the leading roles. Did we really need that?

A thing that the Karate Kid fan base definately does not want to miss is the stunning NETFLIX series »Cobra Kai« which made its deubt in 2018 thanks to the stories by Robert Mark Kamen. On July 18, the sixth season will launch! Looking at a rating of 8.5 on the IMDb it's pretty obvious that a lot was done correctly there - and the reunion with guys like Ralph Macchio and William Zabka was the perfect nostalgia flash at the exact right time :).

Did you know that in 2025 there will be another sequel coming a movie with actually Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, Jackie Chan as Mr. Han and Joshua Jackson - obviousely in the main role? We will see … What's surely worth is without a doubt putting in the "first" »Karate Kid« on your next movie night (why not on VHS, if you still have it - if not, then go to NETFLIX ;)) and reminisce about our youth.

We collectors are wondering about one thing since a pretty long time: when will we finally get a nice 1/6 figure collection from this cult movie?? Wouldn't that be a blast?!

Yesterday Max dropped another teaser for it's original series »The Penguin«, which takes place directly after the events of »The Batman«. Once again we see Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. The Penguin, who is reaching for power in the underworld of Gotham City. Standing in his way is the young Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), who also wants to take over the leadership of the Falcone empire. A bloody power struggle is imminent.

The trailer looks damn good again and exudes exactly the right neo-noir atmosphere that also characterized »The Batman«. The eight-part miniseries will be released in September. We are really looking forward to it! Here is the new teaser:
https://youtu.be/D2uSwItbBAg

Exactly 50 years ago today, Roman Polanski's Chinatown was released in American cinemas. We are taking this as an opportunity to celebrate the film today.

The year is 1937. Los Angeles is currently experiencing a drought. Private detective Jake Gittes, played by Jack Nicholson, has specialized in observing unfaithful spouses and provides photos that convict adulterers. One day, a lady turns up in his office and introduces herself as Mrs. Mulwray. Gittes is supposed to monitor her husband Hollis Mulwray in order to obtain evidence of an extramarital affair. Mulwray is the chief engineer of the city's waterworks. Gittes shadows him for several days. Mulwray, however, seems to be much more interested in canals and rivers than in other women. But then, after a few days, Gittes catches him with a young girl. His photos of the alleged affair end up on the front page of the local press. The next day, the real Evelyn Mulwray, played by Faye Dunaway, turns up in Gittes' office and tells him she's going to sue him. Gittes wants to contact Mr. Mulwray directly, but can't find him. A little later, Hollis Mulwray's body is found in one of the canals. Apparently he had discovered a waterworks fraud. Gittes gets caught up in a vortex of intrigue and deadly fraud, personal drama and political scandals ...

»Chinatown« is a great film noir! Robert Towne's well-constructed and extremely efficient screenplay won an Oscar and is still considered a prime example of a well written screenplay.

The film is a masterpiece that you should see and is certainly worth a second and third visit as well. You can currently watch it on Paramount+ and Joyn. To give you a taste here is the trailer:
https://youtu.be/T37QkBc4IGY

Count Dracula and his eternal opponent Doctor Abraham Van Helsing, played by the Hammer Films veterans Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, have now made themselves comfortable in the overseas container and are on their way to us. Since travel through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is currently not possible due to the political situation, our heroes have to take the detour around the southern tip of Africa. We expect the eagerly awaited 1/6 scale figures by Kaustic Plastik towards the end of August.

A few advance copies for photos and reviews are already in the hands of photographers and reviewers. So if you want to get a first impression, we recommend Dean Knight's review video on YouTube and his showcase video of the figures.

Our anticipation is growing enormously as we grew up with all the Hammer films that became an integral part of our cinematic horror socialization.

Kaustic Plastik proves once again that they have a sixth sense for figures with cult appeal. Both Nosferatu and Terence Hill were almost sold out in no time. Our forecast for Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing looks similar. So if you are a fan of the old Hammer Dracula films, you would do well to pre-order the two horror icons, because we expect them to be gone faster than you can say "crucifix" ;)!
https://www.space-figuren.de/advanced_search_result.php?inc_subcat=1&keywords=horror%2Bof%2Bdracula&filter_id%5B0%5D=166&language=en

A few days ago, Peacock released a trailer for the monumental series »Those About to Die«. The series takes us to ancient Rome during the reign of the Roman Emperor Vespasian (played by Anthony Hopkins), who has to fend off the intrigues of the patricians who would like to replace him with one of their own. The main locations of the series are the Circus Maximus and the Amphitheatrum Flavium, better known today as the Colosseum, where we meet all classes of Roman society. Four companies control the sports world of those days, which is dominated by corruption, greed and violence. The first season consists of 10 episodes directed by Roland Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner and produced in the Cinecittà studios. The series is set to premiere on July 19 on Peacock. The trailer certainly made us curious:
https://youtu.be/hvf6IS48eik

The second season of »House of the Dragon« starts today on Sky and WOW's streaming service. A new episode is added every week, season 2 consists of 8 episodes in total. Unlike the first season, it will not be broadcast on Sky Atlantic's linear pay-TV service for the time being.

Showrunner Ryan Condal promises us more of everything: "More dragons, more action, more characters". The first season of the series had to contend with the problem that it had to cover a good 20 years of history, which inevitably led to a number of major time jumps. With the death of Lucerys and his dragon Arrax over Storm's End, the fuse was finally lit that's inevitably going to lead to the civil war between the parties of the two queens Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower.

Since the events from now on develop linearly without major time jumps, it will certainly be easier to connect emotionally with the characters and if we take Condal at his word, we have an exciting eight weeks ahead of us with fierce battles and thrilling intrigues for the Iron Throne.

The 4th season of »The Boys« starts streaming today on Amazon Prime Video!

Let's recap: In the spin-off series »Gen V« we were told that a virus had been developed against Supes. And it seems that this will now play a central role in the Boys' fight against the Supes. Of course, we also ask ourselves the anxious question of whether Butcher will survive the consequences of his Temp V abuse ...

The trailer is not stingy with blood and sprays the vital fluid by the gallon, draws parallels to real-life politics, strikes both cynical and thoughtful tones and at the same time offers a lot of quirkiness like Homelander in »Holiday on Ice«, a chestburster chicken and flying sheep:
https://youtu.be/EzFXDvC-EwM

We are also very curious about the new Supes Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) and Firecracker (Valorie Curry) and also what role Jeffrey Dean Morgan will play. That and much more will be seen in the 8 episodes of season 4, the first 3 of which will be released today. The rest are going to drop weekly.

We wish you and us a lot of fun with what is probably the best superhero series on the planet right now!

Now it's finally happening! As Deadline magazine recently reported, Bill Skarsgård will once again terrorize the kids of the small town of Derry in Maine as Pennywise. At the same time, he is also acting as executive producer of the »It« prequel series »Welcome To Derry«. After the box office hit »It« from 2017 and the sequel »It Chapter 2«, this is the third time he has slipped into the role of the demonic clown. The director of the two »It« films, Andy Muschietti, is also back on board and will direct four episodes of the nine-part series.

Pennywise is known to haunt the town of Derry every 27 years. The prequel series is set in the early 1960s. Once again, a group of youngsters have to get in Pennywise's way. That sounds pretty familiar and not very original, but let's wait and see what else the series creators come up with.

Another season would certainly be interesting, taking us even further back in time to the founding days of the town. As is often the case, further sequels will of course depend on the success of the first season as well as Bill Skarsgård's willingness to continue to commit to the series. Originally he did not want to take on the role in the show at all. After the many negative reactions to his involvement in the remake of »The Crow«, however, a return to Pennywise seems to be a safe bet.

There is no start date for the series yet. Halloween 2024 was once discussed, but it is now certain that the release is not expected before 2025.

This month in our Postcard Collection we have the pleasure to present to you "LordQuackasaurus" 🤩! This vigilante warrior duck adorns our postcard in June 🦆.

It came to us over the big pond, because the photo was taken by Eugene a.k.a. LordBobasaurus from the United States. The figure is assembled from parts of a Mythic Legions figure as well as custom parts like the head including the self-painted hood, the armor and the feet. With the figure, Eugene staged this cool, atmospheric picture. Thank you so much 😊!

You'll get a piece of this card with every package we're sending out to you in June. And for even more epic shots check out Eugene's Instagram account!

With the animated series »Arcane«, which is based in the universe of the »League of Legends« video game, Netflix has landed a mega hit in 2021! Critics and viewers have rarely been so unanimous. A critics' score of 100 % and an audience rating of 96 % on Rotten Tomatoes speak volumes. The 9 episodes of the first season have an incredible pull. The Storytelling, the characters, the world building, the wealth of detail, the animation style and the very cinematic camera work are praised everywhere to the highest degree.

The second season of the series is scheduled to be released in November this year and will continue the story of the sisters Vi and Powder and the cities of Piltover and Zaun. Netflix released a first teaser yesterday to shorten the wait a little:
https://youtu.be/AEbfiLaOdJA

If you haven't seen »Arcane« yet, you should definitely put the series on your watchlist! By the way, it is not necessary to have played »League of Legends« before watching.

Cowabunga! There are Turtles news!

A few days ago, Paramount released the first trailer for the new series »Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles«:
https://youtu.be/qZo7A_XBNeE

The show is set in the world of the film »Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem«, which was able to surprise and convince viewers as well as critics with its story, its unique and comicesque animation style and its humour last year. It's serves as a bridge between the 2023 film and its sequel, which is set to release in 2026. After the events of »Mutant Mayhem«, the four brothers still have to learn how to navigate their dual lives as teenagers and heroes. As the trailer already gave away, Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey have to deal with being alone for the first time in season 1, after they are separated in their fight against the villain Bishop. Whether they'll be able to reunite in time to save the mutants from Bishop's plans, remains to be seen in the twelve episodes, which are dropping on August 9 on Paramount+.

The »RolePlay Verse« took place for the first time at the Turbinenhalle in Oberhausen last weekend. It was a big party for all gamers! And the name »Verse« describes it perfectly, because whether it's video games, tabletop, pen & paper, live action role-play, board and card games or cosplay; whether it's novels, audio books, manga or anime; whether it's steampunk, fantasy, sci-fi or the post-apocalypse; all kinds of different worlds came together here and made the hearts of geeks beat faster.

Some of you will probably remember the RPC, the »RolePlay Convention«, which started in Münster in 2007 and later moved to Cologne. Since 2015, »RolePlay Convention« has been a registered trademark of Koelnmesse. In 2019, it was merged with the first »Comic Con Experience Cologne« (CCXP), not to the delight of all fans. And then Covid came along... A painful gap was left behind, but like a phoenix from the ashes, the »RolePlay Verse« is now rising as a legitimate heir. What fun!

We have already lauded the Turbinenhalle Oberhausen several times as a venue for horror conventions and it is also an ideal place for the »RolePlay Verse«. The space was more than doubled by a huge outdoor area with a medieval market, stalls with delicious food, a large stage with live music, a post-apocalyptic camp and many tents, from game publishers to special effects make-up.

There was plenty of space everywhere for games of all kinds, interesting presentations and shopping, from books to swords and armor. Of course, the convention also offered a rich stage program. Who would have thought that following a pen & paper role-playing game live on stage could be this entertaining? A highlight on Saturday was the big cosplay competition. In general, all the cosplayers brought a lot of color to the event. And even visitors who don't have much to do with games had a lot to marvel at here.

After a good 10,000 visitors attended the event, it is quite clear that the RPV will be continued next year. We are already looking forward to it! Were any of you there? How did you like it?

Exactly 40 years ago today, »Ghostbusters« came to cinemas in the US 👻! That's why June 8 is being celebrated as the annual »Ghostbusters Day« - this year though for a very special anniversary.

We are pretty sure that something strange will be going on at the firehouse in Manhattan - and we are absolutely excited to find out what manufacturers of toys and collectibles will be dropping this weekend. Maybe NETFLIX will give us a first teaser on the upcoming animated series? And how about a 1/6 Phoebe Spengler figure, finally - why not by Blitzway 😍!

We from the S.P.A.C.E Crew are extremely grateful for this wonderful franchise and we are looking forward to everything there is to come. Let's send some really special congrats for the 40th birthday and a huge THANKS for these stunning movies that accompany so many of us until this day to heaven, to Harold Ramis und Ivan Reitman 💖!

There are two great options for tonight - depending on the weather: either roast some marshmallows or watch »Ghostbusters« - or best both 😜! Happy GHOSTBUSTERS DAY 🥳!!!

"Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?"

Sometimes it's a very simple premise like this one that makes for a really exciting film. The whole thing takes place in the murderous traffic of Los Angeles, but that's not all - the script throws a few nasty obstacles in the way on top of that. And of course, there's the enchanting Sandra Bullock as a passenger and reluctant bus driver; Keanu Reeves as a SWAT officer who tries to save the day for her and the other passengers; and Dennis Hopper as a brilliant and unpredictable bomb builder with a psychopathic charm. These are the ingredients for a film that celebrated its Hollywood premiere 30 years ago today. The title »Speed« said it all and the film is still a gem of action cinema with an Oscar-worthy performance by Dennis Hopper.

As a throwback, here's the original trailer from 1994:
https://youtu.be/8piqd2BWeGI

And if you're really keen on the film now, you can find it streaming on Disney+. Buckle up!

Do you already have plans for your weekend film program? If not, we have a Netflix tip for you. A few days ago, the streaming service added »Godzilla Minus One« to their program. Mick watched the film a few days ago and was completely blown away. Let's hear it, Mick!

Well, who would have thought that I would one day praise a Godzilla film to the highest degree? Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really get much out of the franchise. I do recognize the historical significance of the original film and that the film is to be understood as a metaphor and reflects the Japanese trauma of the war and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When I think of all the later films, however, I mainly think of men in rubber suits stomping around, destroying model cities or gigantic CGI monsters that punch each other in the face and degrade the human actors to extras.

»Godzilla Minus One« is completely different. The film goes back to the roots, setting its story in post-war Japan and placing its human protagonists at the centre of the plot. The characters are as likeable as they are relatable. Toho Studios shows the western Monsterverse blockbuster makers how to do it right. It's not about wasting gigantic budgets on a soulless spectacle and limiting yourself to just tickling our retinas, but about telling good stories that grab us emotionally. We understand the inner conflict of the kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima, his survivor's guilt, his grief. We care about him, we connect with him and empathize. And the good story didn't stop the film from bringing the Oscar for best visual effects to Japan. In my opinion, this is the best Godzilla since 1954. May Hollywood take a lesson from this! 

We were also blown away by the Godzilla Ultimate Diorama Masterline Statue by Prime 1, a congenial masterpiece from the Japanese high-end statue maker:
https://www.space-figuren.de/Movies/Godzilla/Godzilla-Ultimate-Diorama-Masterline-Statue-Bonus-Version-Godzilla-Minus-One::27406.html

With »The Acolyte, the next STAR WARS show launches today on Disney+ - again right away with two episodes. There was a big buzz up front around showrunner Leslye Headland and also the trailers have been accepted by fans with a very subdued ehtusiasm ...

It has to be clear to every STAR WARS fan that we are facing only novelties in »The Acolyte«: all new, never encountered before characters, a totally different epoch and a new person as the mastermind of the project. This of course can be a hit, but it can also be a total miss.

Sven took the afternoon off to immediately watch episode 1 & 2. His first review in short:
Hmmmm! There's definately more to come - or less, because especially at the beginning things went unexpectedly, well almost dissapointingly, fast. The look is good, the music by Michael Abels is almost even better - but the rest? Let's wait for the next episode next week. We will give the show enough time, of course. But so far, it probably blew away only some very few viewers.

The one and only bad boys are back! The new movie »Bad Boys: Ride or Die« is currently bringing lots of action to cinemas. The well-known duo Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are on screen again in the fourth part of the »Bad Boys« series. As always, the two actors want to win the viewers over with a lot of charm and humor. For a warm-up we recommend the latest trailer:
https://youtu.be/ZTQyMmz-cQE

Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett go from hunters to hunted. Within the Miami Police Department a corruption scandal is uncovered, which causes the two to get tangled up in an intrigue. Now they are forced to flee and solve the case with less-than-legal methods.

Last weekend, the MONSTERPALOOZA took place at the Pasadena Convention Center in California and simultaneously celebrated an anniversary. For 15 years, the convention has presented us with the best of horror!

More than 450 exhibitors were present at Monsterpalooza, including many make-up artists, cosplayers, sculptors and of course collectibles manufacturers. Among them were Elite Creature Collectibles, who presented not just their well-known Hellboy statues at their booth, but also the life-size E.T., which is currently pending approval. They also showed a new creation by artist Akihito Ikeda, the insanely detailled and fascinating Sallasenien statue. Premium Collectibles Studio did not have their own booth but a few of their pieces could be admired by visitors at the Monsterpalooza museum. One of them was the new »The Howling« Werewolf statue in 1/3 scale, which is definitely impressive with its fur application. We were very surprised by the new manufacturer Reventure Studios, who presented their very first statue at the convention: the Egyptian Queen, based on the famous artwork by Frank Frazetta. On the YouTube channel Secret Sanctuary you can find a short interview with one of the founders of Reventure Studios, Dave Igo, who has already worked for Gentle Giant, Sideshow and Tweeterhead before, as well as videos with pieces by the aforementioned manufacturers: 
https://www.youtube.com/@thesecretsanctuary/videos

Gabriel Garcia uploaded some great photos of various exhibits and cosplayers on his Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10229181072304453&type=3

Of course, some guest stars were present as well, who provided fans with autographs and photos. Among them were Giancarlo Esposito (»Breaking Bad«), Matthew Lillard (»Scream«), Melissa Barrera (»Scream«), Tony Todd (»The Candyman«) und Linda Blair (»The Exorcist«). Director Fede Alvarez was there too and answered many questions regarding his new film »Alien Romulus« together with special effects masters Shane Mahan and Alec Gillis. You can watch a recording of this panel here:
https://youtu.be/tTiov2nDrnk