Movie List

As a reader of my site you know i have other vices than cards. One of which is horror movies. I am currently up to 564 movies in the collection. I have created a sub site with a list of all my films. You can link to it right under my want list and doubles list (which I really need to work on, will do after i go through my Christmas haul) I have linked the site with all my reviews that I've done so far and will continue to do so with all future reviews.

One of the first horror films I remember watching as a kid was the original House of Wax, (not really an original though as even this one was based on the movie, Mystery of the Wax Museum) which incidentally is not in my collection yet. Odd when I think about it. I think I might just have to head to EBay right now for it. I fell in love with horror right then and there. Though I didn't start collecting films until after I got back into baseball cards. I thought to myself, Hey I collect cards why not my favorite movies.

Of all the classic creature features, Nosferatu, Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, etc...The Creature from the Black Lagoon is my favorite. Though I am a big fan of the original Frankenstein series as well.

One, Two, Freddy's coming for you. Three, Four, better lock your door. Five, Six, Grab your crucifix. Seven, Eight, Better stay up late. Nine, Ten, Never sleep again!!! The original is still a classic. Interested to see how the remake turns out. Speaking of remakes, has anyone seen the preview for the new Wolfman movie? I will be there, first show opening day for that one. Guaranteed!!!

A horror fan's favorite. The Exorcist is one of the best movies ever made. And the fact that this movie came out on Christmas day always puts a smile on my face. How funny is that? Here's something you may not know. The book, the movie is based on, and the movie are almost a word for word remake. And I highly recommend the book to anyone who liked the film.

Last January I had a horror-fest at my place which was awesome. Anyone who read my old blog will (hopefully) remember that. This year I plan to do it again. Not in January, but it will be done again. So stay tuned for further horror reviews, news on Joe's 2nd annual horrorfest and feel free to check out the ever growing list. Pleasant Nightmares!

2009 Topps U & H

I just started working on these a couple weeks ago. Since then I have bought a couple blasters as well as some 50 card packs. Have some good stuff here too. I've added this set to my want list as well. Please help where you can.

Thought I would start with the patch cards. One for each of the 3 blasters boxes I bought. I'm not sure how to feel about these. On one hand, I like the way they look and I like that they are older players. But they're not real. They are just remakes of patches. It's not like these were actually on Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks and Stan Musial's jerseys at any point. So I'm torn. I appreciate them for what they are though. Remakes of patches for another time, I guess.

Next we have the propaganda series. I absolutely love these. I have to get this whole set. It doesn't help that the first one I got was David Wright. These cards have a great look and its a different type of subset. Definitely have to get all of these. Wait did I say that already? Don't care, I want them. (In case you couldn't tell) Interesting that the Mets one says Victory is Imminent.

Alright anyone who reads this blog or even just this post for that matter, knows that I am a Met fan. And as a Met fan I obviously hate the Yankees. However, I think this is one of my favorite cards that I own. The New York Rockers? This is awesome. Swisher and Damon devil horns!!! This is better than an electron card or even the Milky Way! (PS this is called sarcasm) I do love the card though.

Pulled this one out of one of the Blasters as well. This one definitely put a smile on my face. Always great to get a short print. Speaker made it into the Hall of Fame in its second year. Finishing his career with a .345 batting average, 3514 hits and 3 World Series Championships under his belt. He ranks first in career doubles, first in outfield assists, fifth in lifetime batting average, fifth in hits, sixth in triples and eighth in career runs. One hell of an all-around player.

Got this beauty in a 50 pack. The local card shop had 3 left so i bought all 3. I didn't know that Sandberg was originally with the F'n Phils. (As I like to call them) Not that I'm bitter or anything. He looks much better in a Cubs uniform. He probably burned that Philly uniform first chance he got. Last card is another one from a 50 pack and was the best of the haul.

Tim Lincecum Black. 45 of 58. This one really made me happy. Opened it right in the card shop with Steve, formally of The Easy Life. I got one Black last year but it was Manny Acta. Why the hell would they even make a Manny Acta black? Seriously, that was like a big F.U. from topps. This on the other hand is much better. 2 time Cy Young winner, who's star is on the rise. Hey when does he become a free agent? The Mets really need pitching. HA! Lincecum is the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen to win the Cy-Young in his second year in the league. Gooden with the Mets and Saberhagen later becoming a Met, think about it. Its your destiny Lince.

Laugh in the New Year

Hey all. Just a quick post today but this is for everyone who wants a good laugh. Happy New Year all. Be back tomorrow with another card post. And to everyone I have been in contact with about trades, I am pulling the cards this weekend and they will be in the mail on Monday. Enjoy.

R.I.P. Dr. Death

I regret to inform readers that Dr. Death Steve Williams has passed away after a long battle with cancer last night at the age of 49. At this time no further details are available.






Williams was considered one of the top wrestlers in the world throughout the 80's and early 90's. He was recruited into pro wrestling by Bill Watts and was named PWI 1982 Rookie of the Year. Watts discovered him at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a star lineman on the football team and a four-time All-American Heavyweight wrestler. Many of his peers in wrestling over the years believed had he not played football and focused solely on wrestling he would have been a strong candidate for an Olympic Gold medal in either 1984 or 1988.



While never garnering the respect he deserved in pro wrestling in the States, Williams was a big success in Japan. Eventually earning a worldwide reputation as one of the best ever to grace the squared circle.



I have met a lot of wrestlers through the years, unfortunately I cannot say I had the privilege of ever meeting Steve Williams. He was an extremely talented individual and will certainly be missed. I want to send my condolences out to his family and friends.

TTM - Mark Williamson

Today I have a new TTM for my list, former Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Mark Williamson. Thanks Mark.

Mark was born July 21st, 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 12th round of the 1981 amateur draft. He did not sign with the club. He was drafted again the following year in the 1982 draft by the San Diego Padres in the 4th round.

He played in the Padres minor league system before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles with Terry Kennedy for Storm Davis in October, 1986. Mark was called up to the majors the following year at the age of 27. He played in his first major league game on April 8, 1987 taking the loss 6-4 against the Texas Rangers. Williamson pitched 1.2 innings giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks with no strike outs. He went on to finish the year with a record of 8-9 with a 4.03 ERA.

Mark had his best MLB run from 1989 to 1990. In 1989 he finished the season with a 10-5 record and a 2.93 ERA. In 1990 he came back and ended the season with a 8-2 record with a 2.21 ERA.

Mark played his entire MLB career with the Orioles from 1987 - 1994, finishing his career with a record of 46 - 35, an ERA of 3.86, and 397 strike outs and 21 saves. The highlight of his career occured on July 13, 1991 when he pitched a combined no hitter with Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, and Gregg Olson against the Oakland A's.

2004 Topps Crack Jack

Let me start off by saying I love this set. About a year ago I bought a 5,000 count box from my local card shop. It had a bunch of commons from this set and that was my introduction to it. As much as I like it I have never purchased any additional cards for the set. However, I decided as a personal Christmas present to myself I deserved a box of these. So onto E-bay I went and won an auction. After I was done with the box I am now 62 cards away from finishing this set. I will post the remaining cards on here and I have updated my want list. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please help me finish this one off.

Thought I'd start first here with a man who ended his career with the Mets. Mr. Alou. Was very happy to see Alou in Mets uniform. Alou was a big presence in the locker room and I hope we can find someone to take his place. As much as I love Reyes and Wright at their age they just can't seem to take control and become the leader the Mets Locker room needs. Have a good retirement Alou.

Ahh Cliffy. I always loved Cliff Floyd as a Met. I was lucky enough to actually see the Mets play on my birthday, sorry cant remember who they were playing, but Floyd won the game himself 2-1 with 2 solo home runs in the game. Another good locker room guy.

The last Mets game I went to was Glavine's first game after he won his 300th game. One heck of a standing ovation for him when he took the mound. I have to say I was very selfish. I had the tickets about a week in advance and knew Glavine would be pitching so the day he won his 300th I was rooting against him so I could see it in person. Does that make me a bad fan?

I had to put this one up because Luis Castillo was considered the Mets MVP last year for one reason and one reason only, he was the only opening day position player who didn't go on the d/l. How sad is that? And what's even funnier is we're trying to trade him. The best player for the 2009 Mets and we throw him on the trading block? Don't get me wrong, would I rather have Orlando Hudson playing 2nd base for us, maybe, but last year he actually looked like he deserved the contract we gave him. With the current issues the team has, I think trading Castillo should be the least of our concerns.

Alright, lastly we have Gary Sheffield. The Doctor's nephew. Gary Sheffield has wanted to be a Met his entire career thanks to Dwight Gooden. It was nice seeing him in a Mets uniform and I think he did a much better job in the field then most people thought he would. Sorry you wont be back next year, good luck elsewhere Gary.

Here's a list of the remaining cards I need:

1, 3 (Albert Pujol's swinging), 13, 20, 30, 34, 49, 51, 57, 60, 80 (Sammy Sosa), 80 (Felix Pie), 86 (Burt ShottEn), 95 (Gary Sheffield, Yankees), 98, 100, 104 (Edwin Jackson), 108, 109, 124, 126, 127, 140 (Curt Schilling, Red Sox), 145, 150, 151, 163, 166, 167, 173, 179, 182, 184, 185, 186, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 196, 198, 200, 203, 204, 206, 209, 214, 216, 217, 218, 220, 222, 224 (Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers), 225, 228, 229 (Jason Giambi fielding) 231, 232, 233, 236 (Jorge Posada)

Again, any help you can give is greatly appreciated. Help me finish this one off and knock it off my list.

What a Christmas

Just a quick post today but it's important. I got a new computer for Christmas, with a scanner of my very own. I can finally focus a lot more on the blog. I have a lot of good posts coming up. Today is just a quicky.

I also got about 15,000 cards in random lot boxes. Wish me luck on those, it's gonna take me forever to organize them. Random cards from the 70's up to today. Of course a lot of them are from the 80's card boom. Which by the way means if you have a list of late 80's/early 90's give me a head's up and i will definitely check it out and see what I can do 4 U!!!

Happy Holidays

Silent Night Deadly Night

Merry Christmas All. As a horror fan I have to make mention of one of, if not the, most controvesial movies of the 1980's, Silent Night Deadly Night. Was happy to add this to my collection and give it a watch prior to this festive holiday. Let's start with a brief synopsis of the movie.







A young boy watches his parents killed by a thief in a Santa suit. He spends his youth in an orphanage, staying quietly to his self, but his mind is further bent by an ironhanded Mother Superior. He finally gets a job at a local store, where he finally snaps when he is required to wear a Santa suit, and goes on a killing spree that leads him slowly back to the orphanage.

This movie created quite the stir in 1984 when released due to the killer being dressed as Santa Claus. The PTA fought the release of this film due to it's subject matter and it's Christmas release. Siskel and Ebert even went as far as to read the film's production credit's on the air and saying "Shame, Shame" after each one. Large crowds (mostly angry families) formed at theaters and malls around the nation to protest the film. TriStar Pictures, its original distributor, pulled all ads for the film six days after its release (November 15). The film itself was also withdrawn shortly thereafter due to the controversy.



It was later re-released by an independant distributer, Aquarius Films, beginning in Spring of 1986, with an ad campaign which replaced the original "Twas the Night Before Christmas" audio track with a new one that centered around the controversy surrounding the film and edited out all the close up shots of Billy in the Santa suit with weapons.

Despite the controversy, it became a cult classic among horror fans. Myself on the other hand, I thought it was just okay. The movie is very tame by today's standards. Not that that is a big issue with me. Some of my favorite films are old school B & W films. But to be honest I personally felt sorry for the character of Billy.



As much as I love horror and the more gore and craziness in a horror movie the better. Just seeing someone in a Santa suit shooting someone or chopping them up with an axe actually did disturb me, and that takes a lot. It is a decent movie but just a little disturbing at the same time. The acting is so-so and the story does actually seem like it could happen. Overall it gets 3 burning skulls out of 5. Please enjoy the trailer below and again, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Ryota Igarashi

Just thought I would do a quick post today on the newest NY Met, Ryota Igarashi.

Ryota was born May 28, 1979 in Chiba, Chiba, Japan. He was drafted by the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball in the 2nd round of the 1998 draft. He pitched for the Swallows from 1999-2009 when he became a free agent and signed with the Mets.

I have to say I'm interested to see what Igarashi can do in MLB. I worry a little with him having had Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2007 season. But he came back in 2008 and pitched well in his return. Plus for a 2 year, $3 million deal, you really cant complain. There's a lot of upside there.

His stats through 10 years in Japan consisted of a 44-27 record, 3.26 ERA, with 51 saves. He has a fastball that has been clocked at 98 mph and some very nasty off-speed stuff. Check out the video below to see him strike out the side. Wish I could translate for you all but I'm still in the process of trying to learn Japanese.

TTM- Ron Darling

First things first, I am sorry for my absence from the blog for so long, but I am back and hopefully better than ever. Hope I can still have some readers. As my welcome back post I want to speak about one of my favorite autographs that I have ever received back. Mr. Ron Darling!!!



Ronald Maurice Darling was born August 19, 1960 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was selected by the Texas Rangers in the first round (9th pick) of the 1981 MLB Draft. In his first year with the Rangers Minor League organization he put up mediocre numbers which led to a very ill advised trade in which both Darling and Walt Terrell were traded to the Mets for Lee Mazzilli. For the Mets, Darling and Terrell combined for seven double-digit win seasons. They traded Terrell three seasons later for Howard Johnson. Which by the way, when I was a kid playing baseball with friends, oddly enough, if I was pitching I would scream I'm Ron Darling, and if I was playing the field (no matter where I played) I screamed, I'm Howard Johnson. Wow, that was a run-on sentence. ANYWAY....

Darling was called up to the majors in late 1983. The Mets had the worst record in the National League and second-worst in the majors when Darling debuted on September 6, 1983. He was impressive in that start but left the game down 1–0 and the Mets lost 2–0. The Mets were also last in offense in the N.L. (Boo) Darling's 0–3 start were all in decent pitching performances that season. He finished his season with a complete game victory and was in the majors for good. Ron Darling threw five pitches, a slider, "drop" curve, circle change, splitter, and four seam fastball.

As a Mets fan, I would have to mention his performance in 1986. In 1986, everything came together for the Mets and Darling was no exception. He finished with a 15–6 record and posted his career-best 2.81 ERA which was third-best in the N.L. He also received the only Cy Young Award votes of his career, finishing fifth behind Mike Scott who had his best season. (Ball Scuffer!!!) The Mets led the way most of the season and their top four starters all received Cy Young votes. On May 27, Darling tied his career-high with 12 strikeouts in a five-hit complete game victory which, despite a poor April, raised his record to 6–0. He was good on the road but even better at home with a 10–2 record at Shea. His worst blemish was off the field when, on July 19, he and teammates Bob Ojeda, Rick Aguilera, and Tim Teufel were arrested outside a bar in Houston, Texas for fighting with security guards (who were also off-duty police officers). All four were released in time for the following game and the worst results were $200 fines but the incident fed into the Mets' reputation as a rowdy crew that season. Despite the run-in, Darling was featured on the cover of the August 25 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. If you would like to read more about this incident, as well as more about the 1986 NY Mets, I highly recommend the book, The Bad Guys Won by Jeff Pearlman. An awesome book about the 1986 Mets. After reading it I can't believe my mother let me root for them at 6 years of age!

In his career he pitched for The New York Mets (1983-1991), The Montreal Expos (1991) and The Oakland A's (1991-1995). He finished his career with a 136-116 record, a 3.87 ERA and 1,590 strike outs. He was selected for the 1985 All-Star Game and was a Gold Glove winner in 1989. His last MLB effort was on my 15th birthday, August 15, 1995.

Since his retirement he has been a broadcaster for the Oakland A's, had a FOX show called Baseball Today and has appeared on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, as well as providing baseball analysis for the YES Network (EVIL) and Fox Sports Net. He currently works as a color commentator for the New York Mets on SNY with Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez.

Because of their popularity, Darling along with Cohen and Hernandez have created a website, Pitch in For A Good Cause, where the net profit from the merchandise sold by the website goes to charity; specifically, the Cobble Hill Health Center, Juvenile Diabetes Research Center, and The Danbury Women's Center. Please check out the website.

I have to say I was absolutely shocked to receive these autos back in the mail. Sure I mailed them, but I didn't really expect them back. This was one of, if not the, biggest surprise I've ever received in the mail. I even gave Steve, formally of The Easy Life, one of them (not pictured here).

Mr. Darling, thank you so much. I am honored to add you to my collection.

Old Aid

When I was younger I loved Married With Children. As a matter of fact my old friend Bart and I used to quiz each other on episodes, we knew everything about every show. As the years passed the TV sitcom has all but disappeared. One night I could find nothing on TV and there on Nick at Nite (Damn I must be getting old) was Married With Children. I have been watching again ever since. I really need to buy the seasons on DVD.

Anyway today I wanted to give you all a blast from the past. Maybe you'll remember this, maybe not but either way it is funny. Please send your donations and long live Axel Bundy! Enjoy.

TTM - Bob Shirley

I was very happy to get this card back in the mail. It is the oldest card I now have signed. It's not in the best condition but thats ok. Today's sig is Bob Shirley.

Bob Shirley was born on June 25, 1954 in Cushing, OK. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 1st Round (8th pick) on the 1976 Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut the following year on April 10, 1977. He pitched 8 2/3 innings in his debut, getting the win against one of his future clubs, the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out 11 and walked 4 in the game.

He has played in both the American and National League. Over his 10 year career he played for the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees. He was never a dominant pitcher, having his best full season in 1980 going 11-12 with a 3.55 ERA.

Shirley finished his career with a 67-94 record and an ERA of 3.82 when he retired in 1987. He never made a big impact in the game but it's still nice to add another card to my collection. And I know most of us would give up just about anything to even spend half the time in the majors that he had. Thank you Mr. Shirley.

Traci Brooks

Here is another autograph I was lucky enough to get when I saw TNA Wresting live in Binghamton. The woman who puts the T and A in TNA, the lovely Traci Brooks. After the show I bought 2 pictures, one of Alex Shelley (see previous post) because I saw he was signing autographs and the other was Traci Brooks. I didn't see her anywhere but hey I wanted the pic. All of a sudden I turn around and who's standing behind me but this vision of beauty. This is pretty much how the conversation went.

Me: Traci, I didn't think you were coming out. (To do a meet and greet)

Traci: Oh, I always come out to greet the fans, I would be nothing without you guys.

Then she hugs me. I about lost it right then and there and somehow stammered out the words asking for her autograph. Her response:

Traci: Of course sweetheart. Whats your name?

I actually had to stop and think for a minute, really I did, I reverted to being a shy little kid who hides whenever someone says hi. I was just awestruck at how unbelievably nice this woman was (especially in comparison to my experience with Alex Shelley) and of course struck by her beauty. Pictures do not do this woman justice. So she signed my picture, gave me yet a second hug and thanked me for coming to the show and was then off to greet other fans. If God took me at that moment I would've died a very happy man.



Here's a brief history for this beautiful woman. Traci Brooks, was born Tracy Brookshaw and grew up on a pig and chicken farm in St. Mary's, Ontario, Canada. In 2000, she won the Toronto Sunshine Millennium Calendar contest which led to her being named Miss June 2000 and interviewed in the Toronto Sun. Brookshaw went on to engage in promotional modeling work with the Molson, Labatt and Budweiser beverage brewers. In her interview, Brookshaw said that she aspired to be "the next WWF Superstar". This led to her being introduced to Ron Hutchinson, a professional wrestler who operated the Sully's Gym professional wrestling school out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Brookshaw began training under Hutchinson in March 2000 and debuted in January 2001 as "Tracy Brooks".


And here is one of my favorite notes. On July 26, 2009, it was revealed that TNA had signed a deal with Playboy making Brooks the first TNA Knockout to ever pose for Playboy. However, on September 2 it was reported that Playboy had decided not to publish Brooks' photo shoot on their magazine. Deciding instead on doing a spread on the recently deceased Farrah Fawcett. The photo shoot was instead released through their Cyber Club on September 17, 2009 and pictures are easily found through any search engine. I did not post them cuz I like to think of this site being, PG-13.



Hope you do enjoy the additional pics I have included though and again a big thank you to Miss Brookshaw for just being the great person that she is.

TTM - Fernando Valenzuela

I'm back today with one of my more shocking TTM autographs. A man who took the country by storm and had everyone swept up in Fernandomania, Fernando Valenzuela. I sent this one out just hoping to get it back. Like most of my doubles that I send for sigs if I didn't, no big deal, but when you can add a name like this to your collection it's always good.

Fernando Valenzuela is billed as born on November 1, 1960 in Etchohuaquila, Sonora, Mexico. Like many of today's Latin American stars that date is questionable though as even in his remarkable rookie season many observers guessed him much older than 20. Many teams scouted him in the Mexican Leagues but it was the Los Angeles Dodgers who eventually signed him.

After acquiring Fernando Valenzuela in the summer of 1979, the Dodgers assigned him to the Lodi Dodgers (now the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) of the High A Level California League, where he posted a 1-2 record and a 1.13 ERA in limited action. In 1980 Valenzuela was promoted to the Double A Level San Antonio Missions. There Valenzuela led the Texas League with 162 strikeouts, and ranked third in ERA. Valenzuela was called up to the Los Angeles Dodger bullpen in September 1980. In the last month of the season, Valenzuela helped the Dodgers to a Western Division tie with the Houston Astros, pitching 17 2/3 shutout innings of relief over the course of ten games, during which he earned two wins and a save.

Valenzuela's efforts made him the odds-on favorite to be the league's top rookie in 1981, and he didn't disappoint, starting the season 8-0 with five shutouts and an ERA of 0.50. Punctuating this dominance on the mound, Valenzuela had an extremely unusual but flamboyant wind-up (looking skyward just at the apex of every pitch), which drew attention of its own. He became an instant media icon, drawing huge crowds from the Los Angeles Hispanic community every time he pitched and triggering high demand across the country for his rookie baseball cards. The craze surrounding Valenzuela came to be known as "Fernandomania."

In addition to his skills on the mound, Valenzuela also made a name for himself at the plate. During his rookie season, Valenzuela batted .250 and struck out just nine times in 64 at bats. That season, and again in 1983, Valenzuela was the recipient of the National League's Silver Slugger Award for pitchers. In 1990, his last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Valenzuela hit .304 in 69 at-bats, with one home run, five doubles, and eleven runs batted in. In 936 career at-bats - roughly two full seasons worth of at-bats for a full-time position player - Valenzuela had ten home runs and 84 runs batted in. On at least two occasions with the Dodgers, Valenzuela was called upon to play outfield and first base in marathon extra-inning games in which he did not pitch.

Valenzuela was considered an exceptionally good hitter for a pitcher. His best year at the plate was 1990. when he hit .304 with five doubles and 11 RBI in 69 at-bats. His career batting average was .200, with 10 homers, 26 doubles, and 84 RBI in 936 at-bats. Valenzuela was even used on a number of occasions as a pinch hitter, batting .368 (7-for-19) in such situations.

In addition to his 10 years with the Dodgers, Fernando also played for the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals before retiring in 1997. The Dodgers invited him to Spring Training in 1999, but he respectfully declined. Fernando was also a 6X All-Star, Gold Glove winner (1986) and 2X Silver Slugger award winner (1981, 1983)

Since his playing days ended Fernando has done Spanish-language radio color commentator for the Dodgers and was also a coach for Team Mexico in both the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic's, and now his biggest honor ever.......being added to my collection. Thank you Mr. Valenzuela!

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead

No that is not a typo and yes you read the title correctly. Today's review is for the Troma Feature, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. I like to pride myself on being able to find some obscure titles but this one takes the cake. I am constantly on the look out for movies outside the public eye and to do this I check websites such as Upcoming Horror Movies, read magazines like Fangoria (US), Gorezone (UK), Horror Hound (Canada, Bi-monthly and by far my favorite) as well as read books such as Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide. However I may as well be a nube when it comes to horror because only recently was I introduced to Fulci and this is the first Troma film I've ever seen. That even includes their classic Toxic Avenger. But enough about my shortcomings, lets give a little info about Troma followed by a plot of this film.

Troma is a film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Hertz in 1974. The company produces very low budget movies, many of which have garnered cult followings. Their films are most known for their shocking imagery. They typically contain overt sexuality, graphic violence, gore and nudity to the point where the words "Troma Film" have become synonymous with them. You may then be surprised to hear that many actors and actresses were actually involved in these films before they were "discovered". They include Vanna White (Graduation Day), Kevin Costner (Sizzle Beach, USA), Samuel L. Jackson (Def By Temptation), Marisa Tomei (The Toxic Avenger), Vincent D'Onofrio (The First Turn-On!), James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet) and Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Cannibal! The Musical). Troma's most recent release is Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. The following is a plot summery written by Troma Entertainment.

When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protesters aren't the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take "possession" of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat! Film lovers have been starved for sustenance. The relentless diet of predictability and pretense Hollywood has been serving up just doesn't cut it. Poultrygeist is hearty food for thought. In Poultrygeist, Troma takes on the the fast-food industry-skewering the soulless restaurateurs-in the world's first horror-comedy film to feature zombie chickens, American Indians and a bit of singing and dancing! It's Poultrygeist!

Ok, first things first this movies gets 5 Burning Skulls, hands down, no questions asked and I'll tell you why. Let's start with the movie's great tagline:

Humans... the other white meat... Unless you're black, then it's dark meat... Or if you are Asian, then it's yellow meat... Or if you are Native American, it's red meat...

This movie absolutely has it all. It is a funny, gorey, love story, musical about zombie chickens!!!! Those words don't even sound like they belong in the same sentence! Now don't get me wrong here, the acting, not the best, the effects, definitely no CGI in this one, and the plot, I mean c'mon its about ZOMBIE CHICKENS! But Troma still manages to put together what is fast becoming one of my favorite movies. The first time I watched it I wasn't convinced but this movie grows on you like a fungus. It is awesome.

Even the characters names are great. The love story revolves around Arby and Wendy. That's funny. (Wendy, played by Kate Graham, is absolutely beautiful in that girl next door kinda way and is a riot) But it doesn't stop there, also in this flick we have Humus, Carl Jr., Jose Paco Bell, Micki and Denny. Denny wants to "one day leave American Chicken Bunker and open up my own place. I'll call it.........Denny's.........oh Shit!!!!" Another great bit is some of the protesters being a group of lesbians that call themselves C.L.A.M. which stands for Collegiate Lesbians Against Megaconglomerates. They are hot as hell too. They need their own movie.

I will warn anyone who attempts to watch this that it is definitely not for everyone. I originally typed a couple reasons but I decided against it. You watch it and tell me what you think. That is a challenge to every reader of my website!!! Enjoy the trailer and Pleasant dreams!

Trade With Thoughts And Sox

Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately. I have been working on my horror collection quite a bit. Between watching, recording, buying and dvr-ing. I am glad to say I am now up to 280 horror movies in my collection.

A couple weeks ago I got a great package from Thoughts and Sox. Knocked a bunch of stuff from my want lists and a big thank you goes out for that. I chose the following cards to show on here for a specific reason so lets get right to it.



Adam knows that I am a New York Mets fan (pity me please) and sent me a nice chunk of Mets cards in addition to cards for my sets. So out of all the cards sent, why did I choose these three you ask? Well the story starts like I have mentioned numerous times already so I'll try and make it brief.

As a kid I collected cards. I loved it. Collect em, trade em it was a blast. However when I hit my teen years I stopped. Last year I started again after a very long time. In my "Inaugural Season" I collected Topps, Topps U&H, Topps heritage, Topps A&G, and Goudey. Needless to say I have not finished any of them yet. Because of this I decided, being the Topps man that I am, this year I would only collect Topps, Heritage and A&G. See where this is going?

I was doing really good until I saw what the Goodwins were going to look like and then I decided, well whats one more set. Mind you I haven't bought my first box of these yet but payday is right around the corner. Now thanks to Adam I have to work on O-Pee Chee and Goudey too. I can't just have these great cards from those sets. Thanks Adam for bleeding my bank account dry. HA! :)

Alex Shelley

I got this autograph at The Broome County Arena in Binghamton, NY when TNA wrestling came to town. I always heard that this guy has an attitude and pretty much thinks his shit don't stink. After meeting him I tend to agree. He just did not seem happy to be there and in general just treated everyone like crap. Which is a shame because he is one of my favorite wrestlers. He was nice enough to sign this for me though so I guess I gotta thank him for that.

Alex Shelley was born Patrick Martin on May 23 1983 in Detroit, Michigan. He was initially trained by Bobo Brown and Breyer Wellington. He then joined BCW Can-AM Wrestling School and was trained by Scott D'Amore and Joe E. Legend and on March 2, 2002 made his wrestling debut as Alex Shelley. He chose his name by combining the forename of Alex DeLarge, the protagonist of the 1962 book A Clockwork Orange and the surname from Pete Shelley, the lead singer of the 1970's punk band, The Buzzcocks.

Shelley has wrestled for numerous independent promotions across the United States including, Border City Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, All American Wrestling and many more including my local wrestling affiliate Squared Circle Wrestling. He has also worked for Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and even had a tryout match for the WWE back June 12, 2005. He fought Simon Dean on an international version of WWE Heat in a losing effort after being hit with the Simonizor. Unfortunately, nothing came of it.

Shelley debuted in Ring of Honor in 2003. He has wrestled there as recently as 2008 and in his time there has fought many great wrestlers including Steve Corino, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. He had his own faction in ROH called Generation Next which consisted of himself, Austin Aeries, Jack Evans and Roderick Strong. He did not hold a title during his time in ROH but along with Jimmy Rave and Abyss did win the Trios tournament in 2006.

Shelley signed a non-exclusive contract with TNA on July 8, 2004. He was paired with Goldy Locks and named "Baby Bear" Alex Shelley. Shelley requested his release from TNA later that year after then booker, Dusty Rhodes, stopped utilizing him. He re-signed with the company in 2005 after Dusty Rhodes stepped down as booker. In TNA he has wrestled in both the X Division as well as in the Tag Division, wrestling the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Sonjay Dutt, Eric Young and the Dudley Boys. He is a former TNA X-Division Champion and has also won the Chris Candido Memorial Cup with Sean Waltman (X-pac) and was part of the team to with the TNA World X Cup in 2006 with Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. He currently wrestles mostly as part of the Tag Team, The Motor City Machine Guns with partner Chris Sabin.

Trade with Roll Out the Barrel

Alright I was finally able to get to a scanner so I wanted to get caught up on some trades that I did recently. Today we have Ed at Roll Out the Barrel. I got a nice box full of cards from Ed a couple weeks ago and I want to apologize to him for a couple things, first not thanking him sooner and secondly not mailing out his return package yet. I pulled a bunch of cards for you and I will be putting them in the mail for you tomorrow.

I got so many cards from so many different sets I'm not even sure where to begin on this one. Thanks to Ed I have eliminated some cards from the following lists, 1983 Topps, 1991 Topps, 2006 Topps, 2007 Topps, 2008 Topps, 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights, 2008 Topps A&G, 2008 Topps Heritage, 2009 Topps, 2009 Topps Heritage, and 2009 Topps A&G, as well as some various mini cards as well.




I decided to start things off with these two great 1983 cards. We'll start first with "The Kid" Gary Carter. A guy who hams it up anytime the cameras are around. If anyone was meant for a NY team, its Carter. A guy that can definitely handle the press and without his arrival to the Mets one would have to wonder if the 86 Mets could have won it all. Don't get me wrong, they were one hell of a team without the Kid, with Hernandez, Gooden, Knight, Strawberry and many more but having the Kid behind the plate definitely helped.

I also needed to include this great George Brett card because when I was little my first real baseball bat was a Louisville Slugger, George Brett bat. Not only that but I also had a George Brett glove. The funny part is, when I got them I don't even think I knew who George Brett was. Ahh to be a kid again.



Next up we have this nice 2008 Carlos Beltran Topps Heritage card. I chose this one to show because I have always been a Beltran detractor. He got his contract from the Mets after his amazing 2004 postseason and I never thought he lived up to it. Now that his contract is almost up and I take a step back and look at his production, I started to finally get on the bandwagon, especially with the way he started off the 2009 season. Hitting for average and hitting lots of balls in the gap as opposed for hitting for power. As soon as I do, what happens? He spends half the season on the D/L. Ask Steve from the Easy Life, I am the biggest jinx in the world. Anytime someone has a no-hitter going I put on the game and they blow it as soon as I do. If you have a favorite player who came close but blew it just blame me, it's probably my fault.




Lastly we have this great 2008 A&G Charles Dickens. My favorite set and a card for a man who wrote one of my favorite stories, A Christmas Carol. I actually performed A Christmas Carol at a theatre in Scranton, PA back in 1999. I played Fred, Scrooge's nephew. I used to act a lot back in those days. Did many plays/musicals in both NY and PA. A Christmas Carol was one of the best shows I ever had the privilege to work on. Unfortunately I had to quit acting due to my work schedule, but now that I have a better shift at work who knows maybe I can get back into it.

I want to again thank Ed again for all of these cards and again I will get your cards out in the mail tomorrow.

2CW - My Sacrifice

Here's a great video showcasing my local wrestling company, 2CW, Where wrestling is the entertainment!!! This video includes wrestlers such as, Main Event Jason Axe, Isys Ephex, Slyck Wagner Brown and many more. This is a great montage of this company and definitely worth a watch.

Blair Witch Project 3 of 3

After the eight grueling days were over, shooting wrapped and the arduous task of editing material began. In all, Ed and Dan had over 19 hours of usable footage. They kept their promise to John Pierson by producing a segment for the second season of Splitscreen. The piece, now featuring a new cast appeared on Bravo in April of 1998. The discrepancies in the cast seemed to matter little to the fans who were so enthralled by the plight of these students.

Throughout the Summer and Fall of 1998 the picture played in a handful of smaller film festivals across the country. Those successes eventually led to their acceptance into the Sundance Film Festival in 1999. In the early morning hours of January 22nd, 1999, The Blair Witch Project was the first film to be picked up from that years festival when a young company called Artisan snatched up the rights for reportedly between $1 and $1.5 million.

The next six to seven months before the film was released in theatres became a blur for the duo. They appeared on magazine covers, talk-shows, and even went to the Cannes Film Festival in France, perhaps the most prestigious place on earth a filmmaker can have their work shown. On July 16, 1999, Artisan floated the film out in a limited release. Reports quickly came in of lines around the block and sold-out theatres everywhere it was playing. Two weeks later, on July 30th, the film went wide across the country.

America had a severe case of "Blair Witch" fever. Despite Artisan's backpedaling on the "true story" angle as the release approached, large numbers of moviegoers were still confused as to what was reality and what wasn't. This created a fog of mystery and intrigue around the film, which only helped catapault its numbers even higher. In its opening weekend the film took in almost $30 million. It went on to make almost the same the next weekend, a feat almost unheard of with theatrical releases. When it was all said and done the film grossed over $140 million in the U.S. alone, the worldwide total was somewhere in the neighborhood of $248 million.

As for me personally, I love this movie. I watch it every couple of weeks. It never gets stale for me. I love the concept, though not original as many might think it be. More hardcore horror fans know this movie is very much like the 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust, which is quite possibly the most shocking and controversial film ever made. Due to graphic violence and actual animals being killed, the film is still banned in many countries. However the plot is essentially the same. A group of people go out in the woods, this time the jungles of the amazon to prove cannibals do not exist. (more on this film in a later post) When they dont come home, their footage is found and viewed. Ed and Dan claim to have never seen the movie prior to making the Blair Witch Project.

However with its amazing marketing campaign, how little the movie cost to make and what it pulled in this movie by far gets 5 Burning Skulls. Was it the scariest movie? No. Was it the goriest movie? Absolutely not. But the acting was so good to the point that even though most of us knew it was fake we thought the reactions were real. And the way the characters played off each other, everything in this film from pre to post production was done beautifully and will be appreciated by many for years to come. Again, Happy Birthday Blair Witch Project. Please enjoy the trailer below followed by some brief where are they now's with the actors. Pleasant dreams!








Heather Donahue: Heather has continued to pursue acting, mostly in television. Recent roles include the sci-fi original Manticore and 2008's The Morgue. In recent years Heather has sought to distance herself from anything Blair Witch related.

Joshua Leonard: Josh has remained active as an actor in both independent film and television. He recently made the jump to directing, and is currently helming a drama titled Everything's Alright.

Mike C Williams: Mike took a three year hiatus from acting but returned to positive reviews in Ed Sanchez's film Altered. He has also worked with Dan Myrick again, co-starring in the film The Objective. Mike has his own website, www.dearmrspielberg.com