News

Successful films get sequels. Hardly any genre turns it into a whole franchise as often as the horror genre. The standard of quality usually drops from sequel to sequel. Some flicks don't even make it to the cinema, but end up as "content" in the programs of various streaming providers, who have taken over the function of the old direct-to-DVD marketing. And every now and then, a reboot attempt even turned from a beacon of hope into a big disappointment (yes, we're talking about you, David Gordon Green).

But there are some glorious exceptions as well. This certainly includes »The Evil Dead«. The no-budget film from 1981 started a myth. Being indexed in Germany, it was preceded by its reputation as "the hardest shit ever". Of course we wanted to - no, we absolutely had to - see it at the time. A holy grail of horror that we chased after for a long time until a school friend finally brought in a bad VHS copy of a VHS copy of a VHS copy...

In 1987 Sam Raimi remade and continued his film at the same time, this time with a little more money, a much more comedic tone and again starring Bruce Campbell. When Ash ended up in the Middle Ages at the end of the film, we all thought it was a gimmick, but Raimi followed it up with »Army of Darkness« in 1992, sending our hero Ash Williams, stranded in 1300 AD, into a fantasy horror comedy.

2013 saw the reimagining of »Evil Dead«, directed by Fede Alvarez. The film eschewed all comedy and brought back hard-hitting horror. From 2015 to 2018 Bruce Campbell returned in »Ash vs Evil Dead« to continue the three Raimi films in a TV series that is not stingy with wit, gore and guts.

Right now, »Evil Dead Rise« is playing in cinemas and once again focuses on bloody horror. The flick, directed by Lee Cronin, has received mostly positive reviews so far and continues the more than 40-year success story of EVIL DEAD; a series that is part of our socialization towards horror, changed its tone from time to time, was able to surprise us and never got boring. Our seats in the cinema are already reserved for tonight.

We had to wait almost two years for the sequel to »Sweet Tooth«. Starting tomorrow, you can stream the second season of the Netflix show. It is based on Jeff Lemire's DC comic series of the same name and has become one of the biggest hits on Netflix in recent years.

In a post-apocalyptic world, most of the world's population succumbed to a deadly virus. At the same time, all newborns have both human and animal characteristics. Quite a few people see the cause of the pandemic in the hybrids and try to hunt them down. The deer boy Gus grows up protected by his father Pubba in the isolation of the forests. When Pubba dies, ten-year-old Gus sets out to find his mother...

If you haven't seen Sweet Tooth Season 1 yet, you should definitely catch up. The trailer for the second season promises us a sequel to the dark sci-fi fantasy fairy tale that is as emotional as it is action-packed.
https://youtu.be/69rdBVs4u4c

Netflix released a teaser for »The Witcher« season 3 yesterday. The start date for volume 1 is June 29th, the second volume will follow on July 27th. The 50 second spot doesn't reveal too much of what to expect. 
https://youtu.be/EUlC8ue8NFI

We had some wistful sighs at the sight of Henry Cavill in the title role, because as we all know, this is going to be the last season with the Witcher of our hearts. And after the more than weak »The Witcher: Blood Origin«, we seriously fear that Netflix will ultimately drive the franchise into the ground. Nevertheless, we are of course looking forward to the last episodes with Henry Cavill.

The two toy giants Hasbro and Mattel are teaming up! Yesterday, it was announced in an official statement that the toy manufacturers, who are among the biggest on the market, have entered multi-year licensing agreements.

Over the past decades there have been negotiations again and again about a fusion or acquisition, but now Hasbro and Mattel are going to join forces to unite several of their most popular brands. In time for the release of the live-action »Barbie« movie and the next part of the Transformers series (»Transformers: Rise of the Beasts«), Barbie-themed Monopoly games and Transformers-branded Uno games are going to be launched later this year, followed by Transformers-branded Hot Wheels in early 2024. Time will tell whether this could open doors for other such projects with different licenses. There could be interesting opportunities with brands like Star Wars, Marvel, MOTU or Jurassic World. We are excited!

Here you can read the official statement from Mattel and Hasbro yourselves:
https://corporate.mattel.com/news/mattel-hasbro-enter-licensing-agreements-to-launch-monopoly-barbie-edition-transformers-hot-wheels-transformers-uno
https://corporate.hasbro.com/en-us/articles/mattel_and_hasbro_enter_into_licensing_agreements_article

The »Poker Face« series developed by Rian Johnson (»Knives Out«) starts streaming today on WOW. Three episodes of it were directed by Johnson as well.

The 10-part case-of-the-week series centers on Charlie Cale, played by Natasha Lyonne (»Russian Doll«, »Orange Is the New Black«), who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. On the run in her Plymouth Barracuda after the mysterious death of her colleague, with every stop she encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

In addition to the human lie detector and wonderfully odd, female Columbo with a gruff voice, the series also has prominent actors in supporting roles. We meet Adrien Brody, Ellen Barkin, Hong Chau, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ron Perlman and Nick Nolte, among others. That's a lot of good reasons to take a look at the series. The trailer gives a little foretaste: 
https://youtu.be/4x2NzusLAqk

The series adaptation of David Cronenberg's thriller »Dead Ringers« starts on Amazon Prime Video today. Jeremy Irons played the very different identical twins in the 1988 film. In the series Rachel Weisz is now playing the lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes - including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics - in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront.

Initial reviews of »Dead Ringers« are mostly positive. Above all, Rachel Weisz's acting performance is unanimously praised. Amazon is releasing all six episodes of the miniseries today. Here’s the trailer for a first impression:
https://youtu.be/FA_XOruRFfU

»Breaking Bad« and »Better Call Saul« - two of our favourite shows ever. For those of you who are fans as well, we have something very special: our diorama wall all about the 1/6 scale figures and locations of the two shows is finally finished and we are taking you with us to New Mexico to show you the construction and the last finishing touches together with Stefan (@lesgrohl) and Markus (@bambino_dioramas). Not only can you see the amazing work of those two as well as the awesome results, but you can also pick up some DIY tips for building your own dioramas. So tune in and have fun!
https://youtu.be/_nlRIUTBPR4

The Power Rangers are back! Today, the 55-minute reunion special »Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always« launches on Netflix.

The emotional core of the story is the death of Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan (and the actress Thuy Trang who portrayed her), acknowledged on-screen for the first time in this special, and which both the other Rangers and Trini's daughter must come to terms with. The whole thing - in typical Power Rangers fashion - is peppered with some corny dialogues, entertaining fight scenes and a nostalgic look. And a few familiar faces will be on-screen as well.

This special has lots to offer for friends of 90s trash entertainment. So Rangers fans should tune in because it’s Morphin Time!

»The Penguin«, the first spin-off project from Matt Reeves' BatVerse is in production! Last week, HBO has released an "In-Production Teaser", which promises a dark and gritty series.

Colin Farrell will return to his role as The Penguin Oswald Cobblepot, in which he has already wowed us in 2022's »The Batman«. The show is going to take place shortly after the events of the film and will tell the story of Cobblepot's rise to a mafia boss in 8 episodes. Nothing more is known about the story yet and there aren't many details about the cast or characters either. Among others, we can look forward to seeing Cristin Milioti (»The Wolf of Wall Street«) portray Sofia Falcone, the daughter of crime boss Carmine Falcone.

An official release date has not been confirmed yet, but the series is planned to start in 2024 on the streaming platform HBO Max. Here you can get a first glimpse yourselves:
https://youtu.be/zAPifwlWBP0

In the last 20 years, HOT TOYS has developed into the leading manufacturer of licensed 1/6 scale action-figures. Again and again we meet collectors who call themselves HOT TOYS fans. Something other manufacturers can only dream of. You might be a »Harry Potter« fan, but are you a STAR ACE fan? You might love »Game of Thrones«, but are you a THREEZERO fan? It’s an admiration that no manufacturer has as much as HOT TOYS.

But the status as the top dog in the industry must also be defended, because there are other high-end manufacturers who would probably be only too happy to reach for the crown. With INART (QUEEN STUDIOS' 1/6 division) a serious competitor has stepped into the ring. And the fact that all INART figures have previously been released by HOT TOYS or, like Gandalf, in the Crown line by ASMUS TOYS, is interpreted by many observers as a declaration of war, basically saying: "We can do this better than you!"

While we would appreciate a little more originality at INART, as there are still enough pop culture heavyweights waiting for a monument as a 1/6 figure, the saying that competition stimulates business nevertheless seems to be true again. It is probably no coincidence that almost all new HOT TOYS releases are currently being refined with moving eyeballs, an extra that was previously reserved for the DX series from HOT TOYS.

A few days ago, HOT TOYS released updates to the heads of Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Mighty Thor / Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and Shuri (Letitia Wright) from »Black Panther: Wakanda Forever«. We're seriously blown away by the level of realism. In the case of Mighty Thor, one might argue that real hair would have been even more realistic. But like many other things it's also a matter of taste. For us, HOT TOYS still reigns supreme, even though the air on Mount Olympus has gotten noticeably thinner lately.

Since yesterday, the first trailer for »The Last Voyage of the Demeter«, which Universal is expected to bring to cinemas on August 17th, went online:
https://youtu.be/6FgUUO9Ztd0

The film is based on a chapter from Bram Stoker's novel DRACULA. The Russian schooner Demeter sets sail in Varna on the Black Sea. On board 50 wooden boxes with earth. When the ship arrived in Whitby harbor in a heavy storm a month later, there was no trace of the crew. Only the dead captain, tied to the wheel, was on board. From his log we learn that there was a dark presence on board and the crew disappeared sailor by sailor until finally only the captain remained. As the ship docks in Whitby, a large black dog jumps ashore and disappears. That is what the novel tells...

In the storm at sea no one can hear you scream.

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau already dedicated a few impressive scenes to the voyage of Demeter in his film »Nosferatu«. In the Universal »Dracula« from 1931, that's a little tighter. The storm was illustrated here with archive footage. The Spanish version showed a bit more of Demeter's voyage and is clearly influenced by the Murnau film.

The inevitability of the situation provides the perfect background for a horror film. In addition, the template leaves enough leeway to fill the gaps in Stoker's story with new life. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat also recognized this recently, and in their »Dracula« three-part series, they dedicated »Blood Vessel« to the events on the Demeter, probably the best episode of their Dracula interpretation.

»The Last Voyage of the Demeter« was stuck in pre-production hell for over 14 years. At some point, Ben Kingsley and Viggo Mortensen were traded as actors. Neil Marshall (The Descent) was being discussed as a director at the time. Then nothing was heard from the project for a long time until André Øvredal was hired to direct in 2019. After another forced break, this time due to the pandemic, filming finally began in 2021. Above all, Øvredal proved with »The Autopsy of Jane Doe« that he has a knack for atmospheric suspense and seems to us to be the right man for this position. There's also a reunion with a much-loved sailor - Liam Cunningham, whom we know as smuggler Davos Seaworth from »Game of Thrones«.

For all fans of the most famous bloodsucker in literary and film history, the movie is of course an absolute must see. We are happy that Dracula is enjoying a renaissance. In addition to »The Last Voyage of the Demeter«, we're excited for »Renfield«, starring Nicolas Cage as Dracula, and the forthcoming »Nosferatu« remake by Robert Eggers (The Witch). No wonder that various manufacturers like NECA, Iron Studios and especially Kaustic Plastik are continuously treating this exciting topic and giving us great collectibles from it 🥳🦇🧄!
 

In keeping with the hype surrounding the video game adaptation THE LAST OF US, this month's postcard comes from the post(card)-apocalypse. The motif with the Clickers in a run down kitchen was captured by Hansi (@sixth_scale_collectibles), who perfectly staged the male Clicker from CC Toys next to his 3D printed female counterpart in a 1:6 scale diorama.

To get to know more about Hansi and his work, check out our last episode of ABGESPACED!

If you’d like to sweeten your wait for season two of the series, then come and get your own card – as a goodie with every order this month!

The small British film production company »Hammer Films« was founded in the 1930s. When they made the 1955 sci-fi horror film »The Quatermass Xperiment«, they struck gold and revitalized the ailing horror genre.

Their big success came in 1957 with the remake of »Frankenstein«. Up until the 1950s, most horror films (with very few exceptions) were made in black and white. Hammer used Technicolor and especially the color red... blood red almost became their trademark color. What Hammer offered viewers gave the British censorship board a lot of work. Mostly reviled by the critics, viewers loved the films. This was gore like you hadn't seen before.

The experienced TV actor Peter Cushing played the scientist Frankenstein and the hitherto largely unknown Christopher Lee got the role of the monster thanks to his height of 1.96 m.

A year later, the Hammer dream team presented »Horror of Dracula« with Lee in the title role and Cushing as vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing. Lee's Dracula was sophisticated, yet animalistic and a sexual predator. Opposite him stands Cushing, no old scholar and bookworm - no, he is a crusader against vampirism. Just think of the film’s showdown ...

Cushing and Lee became THE horror stars of the '60s and '70s, and Hammer became synonymous with horror.

After Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Max Schreck as Nosferatu, KAUSTIC PLASTIK and INFINITE STATUE AND COLLECTIBLES present Christopher Lee as the third and perhaps most memorable incarnation of the Transylvanian bloodsucker and his fearless adversary Professor Abraham Van Helsing in 1:6 scale!

The figures will be available in a regular and a deluxe version. The deluxe versions each contain two heads and candlesticks. In the case of Van Helsing, the two candlesticks from the legendary showdown scene are included (we are already looking forward to posing these figures). As with its predecessors, the Hammer Dracula also has a comfortable coffin for his rest. For all fans of the Hammer films, this is a blood-red dream come true!

In the mood for superheroine power? Then you can look forward to »The Marvels«! The sequel to »Captain Marvel« is planned to hit theaters in November and just yesterday MARVEL STUDIOS gave us a sneak peek with the first teaser trailer that looks pretty promising: Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) seem to be linked in some way, causing them to swap places whenever they use their powers. With the help of Nick Fury (played brilliantly, as always, by Samuel L. Jackson), they must get to the bottom of the matter. It looks like we can be excited for many chaotic and funny moments and of course lots of action as usual. Here you can see for yourself:
https://youtu.be/iuk77TjvfmE

For those who haven't seen it yet, it's probably worth catching up on the »Ms. Marvel« series before then. There's enough time 😅

Well, if that wasn't a CELEBRATION on this last Easter weekend in London!?! STAR WARS was really commemorated for four days at the SWCE - and fans on site, but also everyone who couldn't be in London got an Easter basket full of goodies from a galaxy far, far away...

It was pretty clear that we could expect a first trailer for the »Ahsoka« series, the gameplay trailer for the »Star Wars Jedi: Survivor« game and another (and probably final) trailer for »Indiana Jones 5«. However, our expectations were exceeded by miles, because in addition to numerous new pieces of information and clips about the upcoming Disney+ series »The Acolyte«, »Skeleton Crew«, the 2nd season of »Andor«, »Star Wars: Visions« and »Tales of the Jedi « and even the 3rd season of »The Bad Batch«, the breaking news of the weekend was the announcement of three new STAR WARS films!

Yes, we can finally go back to the cinema in the next few years to experience the Force on the big screen! The three confirmed films will be placed on the official Canon timeline, which has been newly communicated. James Mangold takes us back around 25,000 years to the »Dawn of the Jedi« era. Dave Filoni is making his first Star Wars feature film in the "current" time (i.e. the events surrounding »The Mandalorian« or »Ahsoka«). And director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will share the story of Jedi Master Rey Skywalker (of course played by Daisy Ridley) tackling the rebuilding of the Jedi Order (roughly 15 years after Episode IX). Honestly, we have a GOOD feeling about this!

The line-up of stars at Star Wars Celebration Europe also blew us away! It was to be expected that a bunch of actors would be there. In the end, however, almost everyone of distinction in the Star Wars cosmos was there. Only Harrison Ford (who chimed in via video message), Mark Hamill and George Lucas himself were missing. A really great service, especially for the European fans!

In addition to all of the great news, trailers, announcements etc. there were many outstanding, very emotional moments at this con. Above all, Dave Filoni stuck with us. The emotion and appreciation that the showrunner, executive producer and director expressed to the fans was truly heartwarming. Almost in tears, he gratefully took off his cowboy hat in front of the crowd! Just as moving was Hayden Christensen's appearance on the center stage in an interview with Krystina Arielle (who seems to really like Hayden ;)). We found it very touching how Hayden was received and celebrated by the crowd. One could almost say that the Balance of the Force seems to be back - between everyone involved in front of and behind the camera and the fans (including those who were often dissatisfied, whether with the prequels or the sequels). Star Wars connects us all - that's exactly what Star Wars is about.

All in all, one can say that the mood at this celebration was extremely good - at least that's the impression we had (albeit from afar). If you take a look at the interviews, whether with well-known stars like Hayden Christensen or with newcomers like Emily Swallow (The Armorer), or if you let the motivation of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni sink in, you can feel the positive vibes which probably ran through the whole long weekend. This is the way!

All trailers, clips, interviews, etc. can of course be found on starwars.com and on YouTube - preferably on the official Star Wars channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@StarWars/videos

May the Force be with you!

»The Pope's Exorcist« is starting in cinemas right now.

In this film, Oscar winner Russell Crowe plays Father Gabriele Amorth, the Pope's chief exorcist who is trying to examine a boy's possession. During his investigations, he uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy that the Vatican is trying desperately to keep secret. »The Pope's Exorcist« is based on the personal writings of the real priest Amorth.

The trailer looks solid, even if the film certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel or the crucifix. "Based on a True Story" likely has about the same truth content here as in the "Conjuring" series, but Russell Crowe in a horror movie? That alone is worth a trip to the cinema for us and as a little extra treat Franco Nero (»Django«) plays the Pope!

With this in mind: "The power of Christ compels you!" and merry sprinkling of holy water. Here's the trailer:
https://youtu.be/YJXqvnT_rsk

The time has finally come: »The Super Mario Bros. Movie«, one of the most anticipated animated films of the year, is hitting cinemas!

The film gives Nintendo fans a chance to see familiar and beloved locations and characters on screen. While working on a water pipe, plumbers Mario and Luigi are sucked into a tube at the end of which a magical world awaits them. Unfortunately, the two are separated on their journey there. Luigi ends up in Bowser's Darklands and Mario, who landed in the Mushroom Kingdom, must now do everything in his power to free him from the villain's clutches with the help of Toad and Princess Peach.

The movie is the result of years of collaboration between Nintendo and the animation studio Illumination (»Despicable Me«). So, 30 years after the 1993 flop, can we finally look forward to a good adaptation of the unlikely hero? First reviews, which are mostly positive, make us optimistic. Even if the film is probably no revelation in terms of story, we can definitely expect great animations, many easter eggs and a detailed depiction of the video games.

So, are you going to be at the movies to see Mario?

Warner is bringing four DC films to the big screen this year: Shazam 2, The Flash, Aquaman 2 and Blue Beetle! BLUE WHAT?! Yes, for us aswell the title or the DC character was rather unknown so far.

The premise of »Blue Beetle« is simple: an extraterrestrial beetle finds its way into the hands of Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña) and involuntarily gives him a superhuman armor. Now he must learn to deal with these powers ...

Apparently as a reply to »Secret Invasion«, Warner Bros. released the trailer for »Blue Beetle«:
https://youtu.be/vS3_72Gb-bI

This looks a bit like a mixture of Yellowjacket, Venom and Iron Man and promises plenty of action as well as a good dose of comedy. Could that be the surprising DC hit of the year? We're excited!

The month has already started smashin' with our Wrestling Sale and the bargains are about to continue. From today on, we offer you selected IRON STUDIOS items at a special price 🤑!

The Brazilian manufacturer is known for many different licenses like Disney, Star Wars, Marvel and DC Comics. The most famous scale at IRON STUDIOS is the 1:10 Art Scale, but also the cute MiniCo. Vinyl Figures are worth a click.

Take a look around - you're sure to find something. But hurry up, because many of the deals are our last pieces remaining 🧐. The sale only runs in April and of course only as long as stock lasts ☝️.

After the first appetizer on »Secret Invasion« about half a year ago, MARVEL STUDIOS just dropped the official trailer on the series!
https://youtu.be/Tp_YZNqNBhw

We think that this looks really good! We probably all agree that Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect fit for the role of Nick Fury eversince - but his look in »Secret Invasion« (a blend of "bruised" and "bad ass") shows huge charisma already!

On June 21st, the first of 6 episodes will launch (of course on Disney+) and we are honest: we're lookin' forward to it! What do you think?