Ultra-Pro & BCW Magnetic Card Holders ()

Originally, this was only a review of an Ultra-Pro model. I've since owned many of both brands. They are effectively identical, in terms of functionality, even though the molding and designs vary slightly.

 

The biggest rub with these is that they're less """air-tight""" than screw-down frames. It's a natural consequence of their defining feature: a magnetic closure. If they were a display case for anything else, I'd rage. They're card holders, though, and intensely easy to crack open every once in a while to clean away the minuscule amount of detritus that'll get in, or simply switch the contents out. The card I put into my first was about 20¢. I wanted it to feel special, much moreso than to be completely impervious to dust. If you want to put in two cards back-to-back, you can, but it'll only increase the seam between the halves.

Every holder I own, save one, is 35pt. That's the thickness of standard trading cards. The nice thing is that these come in a range of sizes. My outlier is 75pt. I honestly thought that metric referred to the size of cards, before receiving a noticeably thick Jubilee card. "Was the listing for multiples of this card?" Nope. Looking into the world of girthy cards was...enlightening. 360pt. cards will have compartments hollowed out of them. Why? So pieces of Tiger Woods' pants can be stuffed into them. Or, gravure models' bikinis.

I am not kidding.

You can buy a thickness gauge from BCW, but don't. Every card holder I've bought from them has come with one. I have a stack. Maybe the purchase-able one is fittingly printed on thick cardstock? As long as your printer settings are adjusted properly, you can produce an accurate one, yourself. I recommend that, prior to purchasing your first non-35pt. holder.

These also supposedly help with UV damage, if you're the kind of person to have windows that aren't completely covered in light-blocking curtains. And, to put your things next to them.

Weirdo.

3 Good Enough Solutions out of 5

They're damn classy. I prefer them to screw-downs, now.

The Planet of the Apes Collection

Using metaphors to highlight human folly is a reliable and standard practice in sci-fi, but for some reason using apes helped the message hit closer to home. Perhaps because we know how similar to us they are genetically, and if evolution had taken a slight detour a few millennia ago...?
If ever you get the opportunity, stare into an ape's eyes and note what you find. There's a level of intelligence that you don't often see in 'lesser' animals.
With regards the films, parallels in how societies develop over time is an obvious thing for me to call attention to, but I know firsthand that something being obvious doesn't mean it's never overlooked, so I'm mentioning it.

Note: Links will take you to the relevant posts on the other Nut blogs (opens in new tab each time).

The Novel:
01. Planet of the Apes (1963) (aka Monkey Planet)

Original Films:
01. Planet of the Apes (1968)
02. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
03. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
04. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
05. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

Television Series:
01. Planet of the Apes (1974)
02. Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975)

Remake Film:
01. Planet of the Apes (2001)

Reboot Films:
01. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
02. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
03. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Spirit Bloody Axe w/Holster ()

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.

 

As usual, not perfect, but damn good enough. This is sold with a shitty vinyl holster that went straight into the donation pile. Don't get me wrong, it's serviceable enough to survive a Halloween or three, if you're careful, but I wasn't dressed as a woodsman that year. Of all of the Spirit accessories I've covered, this is the one that's safest to purchase online, as it has the most consistent paint detailing, across individual pieces. That said, the head is a fair bit squishy compared to those others.

Spirit Horror Double Axe (2014)

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.

As with the black detailing on Spirit's Foam Hammer, the level of blood splatter and smudging varies WIDELY on these, and I consequently suggest even more strongly that you examine them in-store. The handle on this one has the least amount of coverage of any I've seen over the years.

It undeniably feels hollow, but as long as you aren't beating things or people with it, it'll do the job. The wood-grain detailing of the handle is pretty swish and the head certainly looks the part. It bears a molded Rubie's Costume Company logo, but I've seen this sold in both Spirit and Party City. A cursory examination of available information reveals that it was subsumed into a larger corporate ecosphere. Yep, that'd explain it.

Yes, I wanted to sound like Perceptor. Wheeljack sucks~

Spirit Foam Sledge Hammer ()

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.  

This fine fine hammer looks properly scaled at a glance (when not next to size references...) and takes up less room than a long-handled one would command. It's pretty awesome that way. It's also a sturdy core (metal rods perhaps?) covered by painted foam, and while I know that's very likely to degrade over time, it's absolutely perfect given that Travis's do the same. As with all of the prop weapons I'll be covering that originate from Spirit Halloween, the level of wash and paint detail will vary from piece to piece. If that aspect of the detailing is critically important to you, I recommend choosing one in-person, instead of ordering from their website.

I've since learned that foam weaponry holds up extremely well, if you handle them with care and regularly dust them. Gently!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:Leonardo('s) Katana (2015)

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media. 

 

I'm super pleased with this katana. There's a number of variants out there, Halloween props and otherwise. This one can be found at Party City, yes, but some of the tooling is actually toy-aisle worthy! The blade isn't bent, that's just how it's sculpted, as it's rather thick. It's costume accessory quality, but definitely at the high-end of that range. The hilt is what resides in Toy Town, as it's held together with screws! I know, I know, Hollywood-style square guard, but I'm not going to be rolling over it in the shadows.

The price is overly steep, but at the time I thought it was completing my collection, so I accepted it. Yes, this is a 2017 Update and they are still just as expensive. I'd honestly say pass, at this point, unless you specifically want it for its intended purpose. Otherwise, get this!

The Trilogies Collection

Who doesn't love a threesome? When it comes to film there's something oddly satisfying about a trilogy. If the first one is lucky enough to be a success then a sequel can build upon it or tie up any threads that were left hanging. A third film can serve as a timely farewell. Or may in fact exist solely to milk cash from completists.

Because what's below the cut is alphabetical, to make life simpler for myself I'm not including the titles of individual films. Instead, I'll put the title by which they're known collectively, followed by links that'll take you to the relevant post on the relevant blog (opens in new window each time). It's a BIG list.

The Reboots Collection

Some films didn't fit comfortably under the Remakes heading and are best described as Reboots. It's usually undertaken because the studio had run the original series into the ground but still wants to milk it, so they make it shiny and new with actors and actresses that are more appealing to a younger audience. (We're probably all thinking it, so I'll go ahead and say it: sometimes it means that men/women are hired based on looks rather than talent.)

There might be some duplication of titles that are currently in the Remakes post. That's because they're either confusingly both or I've not personally seen them and can't make a judgement call on where they belong. I'm happy to take advice and/or suggestions from folks, either in relation to "add this title," or "remove that one, prick!" Sincere thanks to anyone that contributes.

NECA Cult Classics: Series 7: Beetlejuice (2008)

Seven inches of plastic that's SFW, unlike the character it represents; i.e. the titular ghost with the most as portrayed by Michael Keaton in the Beetlejuice (1988) movie. (There’s also a larger eighteen inch model available.) Besides the weird hairline, the face sculpt has some detail and looks decent in profile.

The best joints are in the neck and shoulders. The shoulder pins allow for the arms to be lifted, lowered or swivelled forwards and backwards to various degrees. The head can be spun around and tilted to look slightly up or down.

Elsewhere, his feet swivel 360 degrees at the line where hem meets boot top; it's very odd. There are holes on the underside but he comes with no stand.
His elbows and hands do the same 360 degree swivel motion as the feet.

The package includes a trio of accessories: two snakes and a copy of The Handbook for the Recently Deceased, all to scale. The snakes aren't bendable, but can be stuck inside his coat for shits and giggles. The book rested on an open palm turned upwards (as pictured) is the only way he can hold it.

2½ black and white candy stripes out of 5

Gashapon Ghost Eyecon Set 08: Kamen Rider Gaim (2016)

An explanation of the Eyecons can be found in Neg's first Ghost related post. I'll add only that they're approx 55mm in diameter, about the size of a small mandarin fruit or one of Henry Rollins' testicles [unverified claim]. It seems like they might comfortably take a knock or two and not fall to pieces; i.e. drop it on carpet and it should be fine, but drop it on concrete and there'll be tears.
The Gaim version, as featured in episode three of KR Ghost: Legendary! Riders' Souls! (2016), has an orange coloured iris, referencing Gaim's Orange Arms form. The other three sides are as you'd expect, with the number being R15.

For someone who really enjoyed Gaim and unashamedly likes clicky-clicky buttons (me on both counts), it's a fun and manageable addition to the shelf.

3½ grateful nods to Neg out of 5

The Remakes Collection

They suck, right? Mostly they do, but not always. In some cases your preference will depend upon which version you saw first. In others, there'll be a clear winner and only a fool would try to argue otherwise, which is not the same thing as loving something for personal reasons.

Below the cut is a list of films that are reviewed here on In a Nutshell and a few TV Miniseries that are reviewed over on Nut Box. The original/first version is on the left, with the remake/subsequent version(s) following. I'm not going to make a distinction between 'actual' remake and 'adapted from same source'. I'm sure I've missed some. Don't be shy. Point them out.

Candy Toy Ghost Eyecon Set 1: Musashi (2015)

I'm leaving this here out of respect to Doc's efforts in reviewing the Eyecon I gifted him.

 

By pressing the button on the right side of Ghost Eyecons, you can flip through four images: An iris, its specific number or letter (here, 01), the facial design of the form it grants, and the symbol of its hissatsu. If you have open shelves, or pets that have free reign around your collection, these may become a cleaning issue given their lenses. I had to open every candy toy and gashapon Eyecon I received to remove detritus from inside, right out of the box (or bag). The biggest issue I had was with Musashi, however: the stickers were printed off-center. I was able to fix them, but it wasn't fun, or particularly safe.

In gashapon and candy toy Eyecons, those stickers (and the ones up top) are flat, not glittery and holographic like the DXs'. The print quality isn’t fantastic, either. The QC issues and the print quality are bad enough, but at this point I find the idea of the gimmick itself quite silly. Of course it has a lot to do with what I feel about what happened with the show after the first arc.

A list of the availability of DX Eyecons is below the cut.

They Had 1 Last Shot and They Blew It out of 5