Books To Open Your Mind- Rises Falls and Reigns of Prehistoric Animals.

 

As with almost all adventures with the Prehistoric in my life, this one also began at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Wars Season 1E

Double Dinobot

A Frankensteiny reference opening. That always goes SOOO well.

The Tap Remains the Same

There have been a boatlaod of "decades later" return sequels in recent years. Some are celebrations, some are returns and some are passing the torch. 

Spinal Tap II- The End Continues, is, by far, the best in show (see what I did there?) for this type of follow up film.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Wars Season 1D

The Probe

Hey! Cybertron! WOO! They launched probes to find the Maximals.

Returning to Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 5 - New Roads, Tiny and Super

Part 1 , Part 2,  Part 3, Part 4

That clearance table (as many of them are) is a dangerous thing. One night the three of us found a two shipping boxes of a Star Wars Tiny Penny wave on there. Checking serial numbers first, Anabelle picked two, Rosa (hoping for a “Baduu” as she calls Grogu) picked one, and I grabbed one to add to the gang at work. After a Baduuless opening, Rosa (abandoning all enabling and joining the addiction) and I drove straight back to the store and bought seven more sets. We missed grabbing all of the serial numbers by one, but still got at least one of every figure in the wave. A scant few went into the “sell” pile. Anabelle added to her group.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Wars Season 1C

Fallen Comrades

Ooh. A pod is falling! New character time! Nice that with the limited cast, an arrival is really an event.
Gasp. A white tiger in the area, Foreshadowing maybe?

Returning to Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 4 - When One Sale Closes Another One Opens

Part 1 , Part 2  , Part 3

Action Figure Sale History repeated itself, when we stopped to shop on the way home one evening. On the clearance table at the front of the same type of store I found the vastly reduced pit fighting Wookie in, was the deluxe, oversized, brand new (2024) Paz Visla (the heavily armed Mandalorian) figure with a huge discount putting it at WELL below my acceptable price for normal figures. It was not an impulse buy. I know full well about action figures leading to other action figures. Therefore, I went home and did a bunch of research on the site where the Mandalorian figure was in Beskar clad limbo. There I learned multiple other Mandalorians were also neglected by the purchasing public.

I stopped in on the way to work early the next morning…
AND THE ENTIRE CLEARANCE TABLE WAS GONE!!!
 
There was much swearing.
(Under my breath as I was in public and do have some class.)

 
I tried to look moderately sane approaching someone who worked there. They pointed me to the clearance aisle in the back of the joint, and the care that location takes with regard to merchandise in that classification was clear when I found Paz Vizla lying face down in some strewn about gardening supplies.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Wars Season 1B

The Web

Question- Are beast forms organic, and that’s what protects them from unstable Energon? With the old CGI it is hard to tell.

Returning to Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 3 - It Is a Group Effort

Part 1 , Part 2

This crystal clear problem was once again enabled by the loves of my life. I mentioned I had been stalking the price of a Marvel Legends box set of a new Black Suit Spidey and a collection of his foes (2022) for several reasons
A) The version of "Symbiote Spider-Man" I have from my earliest days of collecting isn’t an official Marvel Legend.
B) I always liked the villain Human Fly, for some reason.
C) Silvermane featured prominently in the Zeb Wells run on Amazing that no one but me liked.
D) Molten Man was shiny. (Yes, this is a valid reason, haven't you been paying attention?)
E) Honestly, I have no idea who Razorback is, but a giant figure of a dude with a wild boar on his head fits my idiom.
F) As should be crystal clear by now, I still have a problem.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Wars Season 1A

BEAST WARS  Introduction

Ten years after the Generation One Transformers cartoon ended. Hasbro brought the franchise back in a modified, or as someone who is hilarious might say, "a transformed" way.

Returning to Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 2- Space Is a Premium

Part 1

Ironically, Christmas itself tends to be one of the rarest times for collection expansion. This is because of the evil action figure black market people and New Jersey’s action figure armpit status. The figures often sell out instantly, or have skyrocketing prices, or are only available through certain shifting outlets, or can occasionally be found through lucky “Thrill Of The Hunt” style auctions.
All of these combine to mean telling anyone about a figure I’m looking for is almost always pointless unless they buy it “RIGHT NOW!!!”

As should be crystal clear by now, I still have a problem, which is also a burden.
 

The holidays are, however, a time for remembering collections, due to the Christmas village. Even Anabelle’s Squinkies from the dark past got a starring role.
 

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 4B

Click for part one of this story.

Rebirth Part 2-

“Prepare to merge.” And now he’s arguing with his own head. Dude, this is messed up.

One of the green guys sounds like Bumblebee’s old voice. That is going to get distracting.

Returning to Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 1 - The Problem Persists

A couple of notes before starting:

A) Jeff the Landshark is almost always on the Rotating Marvel Shelf, because the three of us (mostly the two of us) can't help ourselves.

B) There will be multiple "all of them" pictures where I regularly (and many would say foolishly) assumed, "Well there won't be any more additions to that shelf."

C) As should be crystal clear by now, I still have a problem.

It’s been a little over a year since the survey of my addiction driven collection.

Unsurprisingly it has grown. 

When last we left the gang, I was celebrating the wonderous arrival of Doctor Octopus. It was well over a month later that he and the rest of the Sinister Six  (the "creepy old men" as Anabelle calls Spider-Man's foes) could proudly grace the living room's Rotating Marvel Shelf.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 4A

The Rebirth 

(Transformers Generation One Finale)

A bit of back story is needed for this "season" first:

Instead of ending on the (while not a perfect note) complete feeling finale of Season Three, or making another full season to flesh out the huge amount of new toys they were plugging, Hasbro cheaped out. 

Not only did they not fund a full collection of episodes, they also refused to spend enough to make a movie length five-parter. At three parts, without bumpers, recaps and coming attractions AND including only one set of each credits, that’s one hour and one minute of screen time. During this miniscule time span they introduced FORTY-THREE of their new characters. That’s about 1.4 characters per minute. Rather than have the entire set of reactions be “who the heck is that?” I’ll try to focus on people we know.

Maybe Keep That On the Borderlands

 

When I started playing Dungeons and Dragons at age ten, Module B2 The Keep on the Borderlands was the first adventure every one of us fledgling players knew. It was packaged in with the Basic Set at the time and served as our introduction to the game.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3J

The Return of Optimus Prime- Parts 1-2

Written by Marv (Crisis on Infinite Earths, New Teen Titans) Wolfman!!! 

At least the story will be good.

Second Part of Sandman... In Two Sections, with Two Parts Each, Plus another Part.

I have been trying to write this for weeks, but I keep coming back to: 

"damn that was good." 

Therefore, this may be a bit disjointed.

Season one write up here.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3I

Money Is Everything

We have the introduction of a Dollar Store Han Solo for the franchise. 

Not even a Dollar Store Harrison Ford. 

He looks more like Dollar Store Perry King Radio Series Han Solo.

Jurassic World Weariness

Hey, Universal!  Come here for a minute.

Have a seat, please.

Relax. 

Uncle Jeff needs to have a talk with you.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3H

Call of the Primitives

This creepy, unseen, raspy and squeaky voice guy made Torbatron (?) which is some kind of energy being. Whatever, back to Autobot and Decepticon battles.

Indeed... It was Fantastic!

Wow two superhero films in the same month that understand the source material! 

It only took living fifty five years to reach this point!

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3G

The Quintesson Journal

This makes so much more sense coming after the last one in the right order than when they aired them in reverse when I was a kid.

Look, Up in the Sky! It's Spoilerman!

Years ago, I was asked if I had to chose between Superheroes and Dinosaurs what would I do? I answered- I don't have to, that's why I like Godzilla.

I did learn the answer for well done Superheroes this week, as instead of seeing the new Jurassic Park like I was supposed to, I saw this again.

Spoilers a plenty for this year's Superman.

Because I cannot keep them to myself anymore.

Click here for a non spoiler review if you haven't seen it.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3F

Nightmare Planet

More horror. Really direct horror. Witches and stuff. Broadcast right on Halloween. 

We’re inside Daniel’s nightmare. Ah.

Things Are Finally Looking Up for Superman

No potential of spoilers review:

YEAAAAHH!!!!!!!!

More detailed, still spoiler free thoughts below (some general references to what is in the trailers.):

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3E

Starscream's Ghost

Old Guy Game Guide- Spider-Man 2 part B

Click here for part A

The game development team did an amazing (ha!) job picking and choosing from multiple, well regarded, past comic book stories (in and out of the main continuity), then added their own spin to create a unique and captivating blend for this collection of tales.

 Kraven and his gang was built up as a viable, city wide threat.                                                                                                   

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3D

Forever Is a Long Time Coming

Another adventure for Blurr, Wreck-Gar, Perceptor and Blaster. Did they really sell that many Autobot microscopes and radios?

Old Guy Game Guide- Spider-Man 2 part A

This is late. Not a big surprise from me and video games. However, the reason is different than  the usual- "I started playing a decade after it was released." 

There will be spoilers. If I could finish the game by now, so can anyone else.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3C

Madman's Paradise

Music is Magic

I've been convinced music is magic for a while. I've alluded to it multiple times in hopes it would inspire me to explain myself. 

So far... nothing.

But - as that is also what I had planned for today- here goes!

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3B

The Killing Jar

New Who Views- 2025 Adventures Were Too Short, in Many Ways

 Well, that was a party. 

Ncuti brings so much joy to the role. Its like the happiness we all get from watching the show all these years has been personified.  I'm a couple weeks late so- Spoilers!

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3A

Season Three Part One- The menu is old, wonky CGI with a slight quality improvement of Rodimus Prime. At least he gets some respect here. This season drops a lot of LORE and more importantly, also a lot of crazy. Therefore there will be more thoughts (and pictures for the extra crazy ones) per episode. This happens every time I go through a set of films or TV series. Part of it is them getting weirder as they need new ideas. I expect an equally large part is managing the ever increasing number of running gags and personal theories I cannot help interjecting.
 

If You Like Mysteries, Why Not Try the Source?

Transformers Rewatch THE MOVIE!!

Transformers: The Movie

It’s weird how some characters who feel like they belong to the movie and Season Three don’t and others that don’t did come from the post time jump stories. Perceptor and Blaster feel like they should be introduced here. But they’re all over Season Two. (Though Blaster’s cassettes show up in the movie for the first time.) Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus feels like a Season Two classic Autobot and his debut is the film.

Digital Dad In the Boxing Gauntlet Created for Him

I came to a recent realization burning the week's stress away by playing Fight Night Champion, yet again, one weekend. 

One of the main reasons I started videoing fight outcomes was to show my Mother the digital version of my Dad I put into the game. 

One of the reasons I started running fighters through the "Rocky Gauntlet" was to have a series of varied boxer types to test out and adjust boxers I downloaded, or made... including the peak stats middleweight I created to be Digital Dad. 

Dad was the first fighter I was able to win against Ivan Drago with, who until that point was undefeated by huge margins of points and knockouts. 

And yet, I had never recorded Dad's progress through the gauntlet, or even filmed his victories against the characters of this franchise.

To get a little variation, and more cinematic videos, this time I did not set up to record the "instant replay" the game makes accessible after the match (which I am terrible at controlling the speed and picking an angle for). Instead, I snatched  up my phone after every knock down to ensure I recorded the end of each fight, with the far more impressive, "slow motion close up, including commentary in larger venues" replay that is built into the game play portion. 

Naturally, after some normal performances when I reached this realization, on the following night when I was recording, much of the Artificial Rocky Film Cast performed far better than usual.

Either 

A) They knew they were being filmed and upped their game

or

B) Because I'm still in a cast from Achilles Tendon surgery, I didn't have my usual video game night beverage with me, and there was some sort of Johnny Fever-esque reflex enhancement due to alcohol in my system the previous evenings I had played this game.

Either way- ON WITH THE FIGHTS 

Dad Versus Rocky Balboa

Transformers Rewatch G.I. Joe Interlude B

G.I Joe- The Revenge of Cobra 1-5

Hey! 1500 posts! Nifty! No wonder I don't get enough sleep!

Do I have to watch another one? 

Oh wait, this one has the people I wanted to see. And much cooler credits scenes. 

Wild Bill flying in a copter! Flint and Lady Jaye in opening animation! Mutt!

Thunderbolts* Hits Well!

It seems the Marvel Cinematic Universe has learned a great deal from the Deadpool franchise.

Thunderbolts* is full of fun and snarky characters, has great action scenes, plus wild locations and events. 

Transformers Rewatch G.I. Joe Interlude A

Hey, the Real American Heroes on Memorial Day, when we remember REAL American heroes. I'd like to take credit for planning this, but I feel my lack of ability to plan post timing is too well known at this stage.

New(ish) Mutants- NOT Through a Kids' Eyes

 Well, that took a while didn't it?

I was intrigued by the idea of a horror superhero film when this was first announced to be released in 2018. Also, while I didn't collect the New Mutants comics themselves, I was always a fan of the group when they guest starred in stories I was reading.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 2L

Masquerade

Hurray. The Stunticons…again.

Old School Xenomorphs!

Sure, the Alien prequel films were cool and scary... and weird. 

But its nice to see the franchise returning to its roots, in two separate mediums.

First off, Alien Romulus.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 2K

Starscream's Brigade

Daredevil- Born Again, Again

Poor Mathew. The defining story in the comics for Daredevil was Frank Miller's "Born Again." This was a tale where The Man Without Fear lost EVERYTHING, (friends, job, law license, home, other stuff) and then battled his way back from the bottom.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 2J

War Dawn

The Aerialbots take the forefront … again. Push those new toys!!

Venom 3- Another One

I missed another Venom film in the theater. It happens. I feel these movies are a lot like Venom comics.

Transformers Rewatch Original Season 2I

Hoist Goes Hollywood

Heigh Hooooo-Boy!

Fine.

I don't usually do recent Disney Movie posts because of my obvious bias, but I'm gonna talk about Snow White... both of them.