SCREAMING AT PLASTIC, PRINT, AND PRESS!

25 Sep 2024 1 Comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Ya know, we once heard the great funny paper artist Bill Watterson never got into the merch game, because it would only interrupt his daily grind at the drawin’ board and take him away from the joy of creatin’ new Calvin and Hobbes strips. Despite his dedication to steadily providin’ fans with countless adventures within a six-year-old’s imagination, however, we’re sure plenty of readers wouldn’t mind a brief hiatus now and ‘gain if it meant allowin’ Watterson the time to make it possible fer ’em to physically possess representations of their favorite characters. After all — who wouldn’t wanna stuffed tiger full o’ endless adventures, right?

That’s why we’ve momentarily hit the brakes as of late to shift our focus to more merchandise focused efforts. After listenin’ to you Scream Freaks over the years, we know what kinda Screaming Soup! stuff ya want, and we’re finally gonna see that some of it happens. Thanks to y’all’s generous donations on Patreon and the number of Screaming Soup! Fan Club Kits we’ve sold, we’re in a terrific position to work toward the independently funded production of PVC figures, a replica of Deadwest’s heat slinger, and additional tradin’ cards and posters. 

If ya never made yer own toys ‘fore, let us tell ya — it’s alotta work! Wantin’ to make sure these shelf fillers are made to the exact specs of yer favorite animated horror hosts, we had to relearn every nook and cranny of our characters top to bottom as if creatin’ ’em fer the first time all over ‘gain. With plans to produce a first line consistin’ of Deadwest, Mandy, and Billy, it’s been a real learnin’ curve fer how to best imagine ’em in plastic fer fan consumption while capturin’ that vision on paper fer digital artists to grasp as they translate that art to digital renderings fer physical mass production. Doodlin’ a goat from hell is easy ‘nough, but now we have to think third dimensional with questions like of how far Billy’s eyes bulge from his head, if the sixes on his chest should be reliefs or slightly recessed carvings on the final sculpt, and whether or not his hoofs are flat or hollow on the bottoms. Things we take fer granted as animators when zippin’ past these forgivable details of anatomy and perspective on paper, but come to curse ourselves fer when havin’ to bring it into the real world. We might’ve gone a little overboard with pages and pages of angles and notes on how every little detail should be pushed and pulled outta the sculpts, especially since we were told we only needed to provide four sided drawings per character, but we didn’t wanna leave questions unanswered fer the fine folks turnin’ our 2D wishes into 3D reality. Funniest thing is, some of the characters’ looks subtly evolved over the course of this project, influencin’ how they’ll be appearin’ in future episodes. Nothin’ drastic mind ya, but positive jumps like comparin’ the look of The Simpsons from season one to season five.

And nobody panic over the future of Screaming Soup! episodes! We’re resumin’ our production schedule as these merch projects hit various waitin’ periods fer different reasons, and we’re really lookin’ forward to our next outin’ with Count Ted as we help him audition fer a new Phantom of the Opera. It’s gonna be one head bangin’ good time!

Our amigos at Lost Anarchy Multi-Media Pulp Magazine are at it ‘gain! With it bein’ time fer their Halloween issue, Mojo El Diablo has asked us back fer ‘nother interview which makes us happier than a tick on a bloodhound! Gettin’ our thoughts on recent flicks, killer tomatoes, and our upcomin’ con appearances, this is a Screaming Soup! collectable Scream Freaks can’t miss! Especially with LAMMPM’s cover to cover offerings of original comics, hard rock articles, and butt naked centerfolds! Hit ’em up fer a physical copy in the mail or visit their Website as well as their YouTube channel. Expect to see LAMMPM’s Mojo El Diablo in our next episode of Screaming Soup! 

Lastly, we’re once ‘gain hauntin’ the upcomin’ toy convention to end all toy conventions at Retro Toy Con in Greenville, SC November 22-24. Ran by Toy Federation, this con has everything! Rare and hard to find collectables from all movies, shows, and genres, cosplay contests, and a multitude of guests from huge franchises like Star Wars, Godzilla, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Spider-Man, and — of course — Screaming Soup! We’ll be emceeing the event all weekend, hostin’ the panels, and joining in on all the celebrity VIP meals so ya better make it out there Scream Freaks! We’ll have stickers, cards, Screaming Soup! Fan Club Kits, and original prints waitin’ fer ya at our table as well as picture opportunities with Deadwest in person! Get more details at RetroToyCon.com and check out Toy Federation’s ever popular YouTube channel HERE.  

Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, purchase Screaming Soup! Fan Club Kits and exclusive merch, come meet us in person at Retro Toy Con November 22-24 in Greenville, SC, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent bite-size reviews for the newer horror films we’re checkin’ out in our blog R-Rated Reviews, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets (are they still called that?), subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74 .

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT THANKSGIVING 2023!

22 Nov 2023 Leave a comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! That annual belly buster known as Turkey Day is upon us ‘gain, and we’ve got plenty to be thankful fer! 

First off, we just got back from one of our favorite cons still willin’ to allow us in the door — RETRO TOY CON! Presented by our amigos at Toy Federation, this playful plastic pickin’ weekend was one fer the history books we tell ya what. Three days of toy huntin’, pizza parties, lobby/room/and parkin’ lot toy swappin’, celebrity meet and greets, costume contests, panel discussions, and listenin’ to our big yap act as the emcee of the event, doin’ our best to keep folks entertained ‘tween announcements with jokes ’bout signin’ petitions fer a Popples panel and findin’ us a Polly Pocket fer our Mighty Max. 

While we did manage to score some new shelf fillers from obscure Bad Eggz Bunch to bargain bin Goombas from the ’93 Mario Bros. movie (with the coats still attached! Whoa!!), the biggest highlights were the friends and memories we made. We screamed He-Man know-it-all Pixel Dan‘s name whenever he walked by (much to his annoyance, we’re sure), swapped YouTube war stories with toy fanatic Shartimus Prime, shared our favorite hot dog hang-outs with Eddie Deezen, got the skinny on Retro Toy Quest‘s new Toy Collector’s Wishbook, joked a little with WWE Hall of Famers the Steiner Brothers, and talked ’bout the current state of the film biz with Star Wars alum Chris Parsons.

The headliner of the week, however, was the reunion of the creative forces behind the ’92 X-Men cartoon from Fox Kids, and we can’t tell ya how wild it is to get to know the voices behind characters we have such fond memories of from childhood. George “Beast” Buza entertained us with tales from the set of The Brain (1988) with him playing a henchman eaten by a giant rubber monster of gray matter. Alyson “Jubilee” Court was kind ‘nough to say those famous lines of hers as Lydia on the Beetlejuice cartoon over the intercom system. Roscoe “Ms. Marvel” Handford gave us some good laughs over her photos with our Screaming Soup! props. We had a terrific sit down with Lenore “Rogue” Zann discussin’ her time playin’ Sizzle on the long forgotten Stunt Dawgs cartoon. Cal “The Wolverine” Dodd was a hoot and a half with his displeasure over some obnoxious boom box playin’ a butchered version of Wipe Out. And the ringleaders of this mutant circus, showrunners Eric and Julia Lewald with Mark Edens, were some of the kindest, most approachable folks anyone could ask to meet. The best time we had with ’em was talkin’ ’bout how many western flicks influenced the scripts fer X-Men, Exo-Squad, and Spiral Zone while tradin’ some of the dumbest jokes we could think of! If ya haven’t bought either of Eric and Julia’s books on the makin’ of the X-Men series, do yourself a favor and snatch these up NOW. Previously on X-Men has a ton of interviews with the cartoon’s cast and creators while featurin’ a ton of behind trivia per episode, and X-Men: The Art and Making of The Animated Series simply explodes with an unbelievable ‘mount of production art and notes not seen in most books based on toons from this era. 

In addition to this overload of excitement, we also got to behold one mother of a 3D printin’ project an up and comin’ toy company blessed the con with — a LARGER than life reproduction of the original Masters of the Universe toy line by True Legacy Design. We’re talkin’ HUGE He-Man figures with all the same action gimmicks accompanied by unbelievably proportioned vehicles and playsets. Unreal, right? Currently workin’ on gettin’ the licensin’ rights from Mattel, True Legacy Design hopes to start sellin’ these bad mama jammas to the public in the near future and already started their own YouTube channel to get news buzzin’ on this incredible venture of theirs. Who knows? Maybe they can help us produce some Screaming Soup! figures!

Speakin’ of Screaming Soup! products, we finally got in the rest of the merch this week for the upcomin’ Screaming Soup! Fan Club Kit, and it’s shaped up to be one sweet package of tangible goodies. Full of various stickers, a mini-poster, buttons, and trading cards, this sucker’s sure to be at the top of every Scream Freaks’ wish list this holiday season and will be ready for sale shortly. Thanks ‘gain to the Scream Freaks on Patreon whose contributions made this treat possible. We’ll be contactin’ you for your mailin’ addresses to make sure you’re the first to receive this amazin’ package of soupy goodness!

And ‘fore we forget, the creators of The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes franchise just released the first handful of episodes fer their new Killer Tomatoes podcast that takes fans behind the scenes of the most hilarious cult flicks inspired by the produce aisle, and we’re a featured guest fer one of ’em! Listen to filmmakers Costa Dillon and Steve Peace yap with the series’ most recurrin’ actor John Astin aka Dr. Gangreen, Marc Price (star of Killer Tomatoes Eat France), and us fer makin’ the 3 hour long documentary on all things Killer Tomatoes! Listen to it all NOW on Spotify!

Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent bite-size reviews for the newer horror films we’re checkin’ out in our blog R-Rated Reviews, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets (are they still called that?), subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74 .

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES RETROSPECTIVE!

03 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! After ’bout a year of video silence, we proudly return with our greatest triumph yet, provin’ once ‘gain why we’re the web’s #1 animated horror host show. Just as memorable as our epic season long crossover with Charles Band, as awesome as sharin’ the QnA stage with the likes of Kane Hodder, and as special as gettin’ worldwide recognition from Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder’s The Last Drive-In, we now cross paths with ‘nother icon of horror whose arrival sent shockwaves through the world of cult cinema that’s still enjoyed today. We’re talkin’, ‘course, ’bout Killer Tomatoes.

We originally planned on a Screaming Soup! special on the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes movies to be our swan song after 100 episodes, but once we accepted the reality of our tedious production schedule, and the fact the talents involved with makin’ the Killer Tomatoes aren’t gettin’ any younger, we decided 50 episodes and the validation we achieved from receivin’ Joe Bob’s Silver Bolo Award in 2021 was a good ‘nough time to cross this off our bucket list. We’re still producin’ ‘nother 50 Screaming Soup! episodes, mind ya, we’re just sayin’ this passion project of ours got significantly bumped up.

As filmbuffs and lifelong fans of the Killer Tomatoes franchise since first seein’ the cartoon while gobblin’ action figures up with our Killer Tomato toys, we always hated how there were never any behind-the-scenes featurettes or tell-all books ‘yond the makin’ of the first Attack of the Killer Tomatoes movie from 1978. IMDb, magazine articles, online interviews . . . it was all the same decades ol’ scraps of information and movie plot synopsis. Nothin’ answered the real burnin’ questions we had fer how this cult flick oddity by a gang of nerds outta San Diego managed to explode into a pop culture phenomenon as a toy sellin’ Saturday mornin’ cartoon ’round the world. Frustrated by this constant lack of knowledge, we finally took it upon ourselves to collect these factoids for the sake of Killer Tomato fans everywhere, and be the first EVER to share the WHOLE story behind this underdog franchise.

It all started with us contactin’ producer/writer Steve Peace who fans know better as their favorite parachute draggin’ Tomato War vet Lt. Wilbur Finletter. Steve and his filmmakin’ partners producer/writer/director John DeBello and writer/Killer Tomatoes creator Costa Dillon formed Four Square Productions when they began their film careers as teenagers makin’ Super 8 movies, and we managed to dig up a phone number fer that business online. “You’re lucky I even picked up. This may very well be the last workin’ landline in the world,” Steve laughed after feelin’ a strange compulsion to answer our call. Fillin’ him in on us bein’ horror hosts and expressin’ our interest in doin’ a retrospective that finally paints the whole picture ‘hind the history of the Killer Tomatoes, Steve was more than accommodatin’ and connected us with DeBello and Costa who happily granted us our first interviews for the retrospective which greatly helped lay the bones for the Killer Tomatoes timeline additional interviews with cast and crew from each movie could add meat to.

With help from Four Square, IMDb Pro, and good ol’ fashion gumshoe work, we managed to round up and interview most everyone involved with the series fer the retrospective. Recordin’ our conversations over Zoom, we had an incredible year yakkin’ it up with Olympic gold medalists, Miss Universe winners, soap opera stars, folks who worked on sets like Super Mario Bros. and Married . . . With Children, stand-up comics, heavy hittin’ talents ‘hind The Real Ghostbusters cartoon, and not to mention — John “Gomez Addams” Astin which was the most unbelievable two hours spent durin’ all this as he shared nearly a 100 years worth of stories in the entertainment biz from Hollywood to Broadway. All these folks are such amazin’ talents and the nicest, funniest people anyone could hope to talk with ’bout killer veggies. Woulda been nice to say we got to chew the fat with George Clooney, ‘course, but believe you us — if there’s anyone missin’ from this sucker, it ain’t fer lack of tryin’! It either means we couldn’t reach ’em at all or they plain said, “No.”

So, that brings us to now. After ’bout a year editin’ twenty plus hours of interview footage down to a hair over three, we’re proud to present the most in-depth, be-all end-all tell-all retrospective on the ENTIRE history of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes series includin’ Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back, Killer Tomatoes Eat France, and both seasons of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes cartoon series that originally aired on Fox Children’s Network. We cover Four Square’s first studio picture Sour Grapes aka Happy Hour, Elvira’s ribbin’ the original flick on late night TV, the unofficially licensed video games, the tomatoes’ resurgence thanks to the Muppet Babies, the reason why no restaurant wanted to use killer tomatoes for an ad campaign, the real story ‘hind the cartoon’s cancellation, and MORE!

And to provide as much Killer Tomato history as possible, we do include a few snippets of information gathered from home video bonus features and other content creators’ web shows, but all sources have been properly credited and handled much the same way as a research paper with links to their original work in the description of the video. The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Retrospective is strictly a non-profit documentary made for the purpose to educate and inform fans interested in the history of the Killer Tomatoes franchise under Fair Use (Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976) as well as a creative reunion of sorts for the talents who are excited to see one another after decades apart. Everyone involved with this video from Screaming Soup! HQ to the interviewees participated in this out of the goodness of their heart for no other gain than to laugh at rememberin’ the best times they ever had makin’ these movies.

Now, enjoy this love letter to one of our favorite movie franchises of all time! It ain’t perfect, but we gave it all we got and then some. TOMATOES!!!!

Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74 .

SCREAMING AT KILLER VEGGIES!

31 May 2022 2 Comments

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Things have been hustlin’ and bustlin’ ’round here at the Howl-Inn Grub & Spirits since we wrangled Frankenstein to show Count Ted the ropes for bein’ a king of the vampires. Yessir, with a little more free time on our mitts, we decided to throw ourselves into a passion project that’s been a long time comin’, and we’re finally ready to share a little ’bout it!

So, while there’s plenty on our bucket list we wanna accomplish sooner than later, there’s one particular goal of ours that can’t wait any longer. As y’all know, we end every review with the disclaimer, “But what do I know know? I like killer tomato movies!” Well, some of you out there think we’re jokin’, but NO! We are in fact longtime fans of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes franchise. From its sequels to its cartoon series, we’re nuts fer this cult hit phenomenon!

As a horror host show obsessed with these vile veggies, we were always goin’ to do a review on ’em at some point, but then we started thinkin’. What can be said ’bout this series that hasn’t been said already? There’s plenty of information on the first flick from 1978, but very little to no information on the makin’ of the sequels or the cartoon adaptation, leavin’ online reviewers and even print publications nothin’ to work with but their own color commentaries on the flicks ‘long with repeatin’ the same plot print from the back of the video boxes. How can Screaming Soup! celebrate its fandom in a more special way?

Then it hit us.

Instead of a regular ol’ review highlightin’ the sweets and sours of each killer tomatoes flick per usual, why don’t we do a deep dive and bring y’all the filmmakers’ own experience makin’ this series!

That’s no typo ya read. For the past year, we’ve been workin’ closely with the creators of the killer tomatoes themselves, Four Square Productions, and have been bringin’ together the most comprehensive review/retrospective ever attempted on the history of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

Featurin’ nearly 20 interviews with numerous key actors, supportin’ players, and behind-the-scene dynamos, we’re leavin’ no stone unturned as we finally dig up every bit of film buff trivia we ever wanted to know ’bout the makin’ of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back, Killer Tomatoes Eat France, as well as both seasons of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes cartoon series. It’s been utter joy-gasms over here fer months talkin’ with all these fine folks responsible fer such a wild and hilarious source of entertainment for us over the years, and we can’t wait to put this out there for everyone.

That said, we still have just a little ways to go ‘fore we can present this to the world. All the interviews are completed and catalogued and currently bein’ edited into a BIG fun-filled Screaming Soup! Special that’ll be part documentary part animated comedy. As the project comes closer to completion, we’ll continue to post regular updates with steady reveals fer who else is involved and when it’s expected to premier. 

Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74 .

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT A SPECIAL QnA WITH KANE HODDER!

05 Mar 2022 Leave a comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Y’all may recall awhile back our comin’ face to face with one of horror’s heaviest hitters, and what a bitter sweet encounter that was. Kane Hodder blew through our neck of the woods fer an appearance at our favorite toy chest fer yesteryear and today’s playful plastics, Toy Federation, and as with many of the store’s guests, we anxiously anticipated an interview with Kane that would shed some light on his more obscure body of work outside the Jason and Victor Crowley movies. With him bein’ a professional fall guy turned monster suit actor turned regular thespian, we had no shortage of questions regardin’ his stints on popular TV shows like Who’s the Boss? and experiences actin’ ‘longside such high profile talents as Charlize Theron and Steven Seagal.

If ya read that blog by Mandy, however, then ya already know our attempt at that interview was nothin’ short of disappointin’. Kane just politely refused to do an interview and that was that, respectfully. He still answered any and all our questions from the word on ‘nother Muck movie to why Death House sucked so hard it blew, but just not in front of a camera. Mind ya, Kane was still a fantastic guy to meet, and we even spent the next day hangin’ ’round him as he signed autographs and jump scared unsuspectin’ customers, but we always regretted not bein’ able to add him to our growin’ roster of interviews.

Fast forward a few months, our second chance came, and we death gripped that sucker for all its worth!

Kane was swingin’ back by Toy Federation fer ‘nother store signin’, but this time he’d cap the night off with a showy QnA ‘fore an outdoor screenin’ of Jason Takes A Cruise To Canada. After makin’ arrangements fer us to host the QnA on the store’s behalf, we made sure to have cameras on the scene and capture the night’s festivities with Kane’s awareness. After a humorous half hour or so of him tellin’ stories from Hollywood and answerin’ fans’ all too familiar questions, we finally had the footage we needed to make an interview special!

Unlike our usual interviews with celebrities in a corner of the store bein’ asked a handful of questions, this video was more challengin’ to produce, ’cause it was an actual event and called fer a more creative presentation which is fun and different. Takin’ a laughable out of context approach akin to the kinda comedy Space Ghost: Coast to Coast is best known for, we dropped Kane into a completely animated world and exaggeratin’ the events that unfolded that night with our show’s characters in place of Kane’s real life cheer section.

A perfect example of this exaggeration is our overreaction to Kane’s answer to whether or not he’s ever met one of his own heroes from the silver screen. Our one and only deep cut question ‘fore the fans could claim him, and he confusingly talks ’bout how blessed he is to have played Jason so many times. Did he mishear us or forget what the question was altogether? We’ll never know, but it makes fer great comedy we hope y’all enjoy while learnin’ somethin’ new ’bout the man recognized for the most kills on film.

Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74 .

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT HALLOWEEN 2021!

29 Oct 2021 Leave a comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks, and Happy Halloween!

Last we wrote y’all, we were in mad preparation fer an unforgettable night with one of the original Michael Myers, Tony Moran. Thanks to our amigos at our favorite toy chest for today and yesteryear’s playful plastics, Toy Federation, we were lucky ‘nough to kick off the holiday season hostin’ a QnA with Tony, whose claim to horror fame is playin’ Michael when he’s unmasked at the top of the stairs by Laurie in Halloween ’78. Needless to say, the night was electric!

After spending hours at Toy Federation with arms full of Myers memorabilia for Tony to grace with his John Hancock, Halloween die-hards eagerly followed the slasher of the hour over to the theater around the corner for even more unforgettable face time ‘fore kickin’ back to a candid QnA followed by a big-screen showin’ of Michael’s screen debut. There were Michael Myers cosplayers roamin’ the theater, folks teasin’ each other with the jingle from Halloween III, deep geek discussions over who Michael can whoop in a fight . . . 

The highlight of the night fer us, however, was this one uber fan who rolled up without a clue what was even happenin’. With her car blinged out in bumper to bumper horror flick decals, we happily welcomed her, believin’ she could only be there for Tony and Halloween. Much to everyone’s surprise, she actually came to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage but began hyperventilatin’ at the mention of an actual Michael Myers actor makin’ an appearance. Things only escalated after she parked, ’cause she so happen to stroll up to the theater the same time Tony arrived, meltin’ her into a fan girl puddle. Ever grateful, Tony gave her one of the most genuinely down to Earth greetin’s we’ve ever seen from a celebrity and was kind ‘nough to sign the dashboard of her horror-themed ride with Michael proudly displayed ‘cross the top of the windshield. Class act if we say so ourselves.

After ‘nother round of photos and autographs in the lobby, we finally made our way to the theater to host the QnA, and let us tell ya —- Tony’s a hoot of a storyteller! Now, some convention videos on the web wanna spin Tony’s brash stories into portrayals of him bashin’ on the horror genre, its fans, and especially the Halloween franchise, but that’s all out of context. Tony does knock these things, but ’cause he’s sharin’ his initial thoughts and feelin’s as a twenty somethin’ actor bein’ cast in a little obscure horror flick. He admits he thought it was all nonsense 40 plus years ago, but has since come to appreciate the movie(s) and its impact on fans worldwide who he now has a deeper respect and love for.   

So, after ’bout an hour of where-when-how he became involved in Halloween with reservations over wearin’ a mask in a non-speakin’ role for what he feared was a porno for a hot second (on account of a prominent jar of Vaseline that was actually used to prevent his hair from stickin’ to the inside of the mask), Tony gave his final heartfelt bow of the night and exited to a uproarious round of applause as the flick that brought him there began playin’ ‘cross the silver screen. It was a pretty memorable night, and we’ll be sharin’ video of it as soon as possible.

Even better, Tony teased at his involvement in the newest Myers flick, Halloween Kills, which most of us were pretty pumped ’bout this month. We say most, ’cause if you saw our latest Graphic Violence video reviewin’ every Halloween funny book ever published, then ya heard our rant on how dumb we think Laurie’s mission to kill Michael is now that they’re no longer related. We still had alotta respect fer the 2018 resequel, however, and was moderately anxious to see the latest installment in this revised timeline of the Halloween continuity. Already goin’ in with low expectations, no one could’ve prepared us fer the dumpster fire of a storyline we would witness!

HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021)

An immediate follow-up to Michael Myers’ newest mulligan timeline introduced in 2018’s Halloween, the infamous bogeyman remains at large and continues ruinin’ Halloween for everyone in Haddonfield with an indifferent murder spree that gains the attention of a town wide lynch mob led by survivors of Michael’s first holiday massacre in 1978. Easily one of my least favorite sequels ‘mong the Halloween movies, Halloween Kills is just a string of ridiculous moments that feels like some teenager’s attempt at fan fiction that’s neither fun or rewatchable. The dialogue’s wildly over the top and repetitive (“Evil dies tonight!), there’s way too many folks spillin’ a buncha needless exposition, most the characters returnin’ from the ’78 flick are shoehorned in as opposed to bein’ organically introduced with an actual role to play, there’s the stupidest case of mistaken identity that drags out waaay too long in the middle, and the biggest dick slap to the mug is the anti-claimatic endin’ the movie spends its whole runnin’ time buildin’ up to. Besides an impressive stand-in for Loomis in flashbacks and the funny scenes of the couple livin’ in the Myers house, the only positive thing I can say ‘about this farce is it absolutely delivers what the title promises, and that’s a non-stop gore-fest of brutal deaths that’s perfect for background horror at Halloween parties. Stabbin’ galore, vigilante justice, street pizzas, fatal freefall suicides, head smashin’ galore, home invadin’, carjackin’, house infernos, firefighter massacres, axes to the face, saws to the fact, lotta broken windows, impaled faces, keep away, turkey baster injections of courage, gushin’ neck wounds, gunshots to the chest, and panicked mobs! 3/5!

Thank Craven we at least had Chucky to save Halloween this year with his new show on Syfy/USA. That sucker’s a homerun in our opinion! The last couple of movies struggled to back off the laughs in favor of the fear inducin’ tension the first three Child’s Play flicks had, but this series perfectly strikes that delicate balance with dark nerve wrackin’ humor as well rounded characters are given meaningful deaths in contrast to Chucky’s laughable antics. If you recall our previous posts, we threw our hats in the ring to be one of the few lucky artists hired to animate show bumpers and design thumbnails fer the episodes, but we’ll be damned if any of that’s been seen anywhere yet. What’s up with that?

In other news, we got some Halloween goodies fer y’all! Below you’ll find our newest Halloween Eeeh-Cards! fer y’all to share with yer friends and frienemies, and we just released our latest horror celebrity interview with none other than Roger Jackson, the creepy voice of Ghostface from the Scream franchise! Roger was a riot to corner fer a conversation, and he really shows off what all his pipes can do fer our amusement. A voicebox dynamo all ’round, watch the vid and learn all ’bout his work in video games and yapp happy toys.  

And BIG UPDATE! Screaming Soup! is back on the con scene! That’s right, November 19-21, 2021, we can be found at Retro-Toy Con in Greenville, SC. Yessir, we’ll be lined up with the likes of Sgt. Slaughter, a buncha G.I.Joe voice actors, and the fella who played Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, all thanks to our amigos at Toy Federation! So, if ya ever wanted to meet an animated horror host, stop on by, and we’ll shoot the shit while makin’ art and takin’ pictures together. It’s sure to be alotta fun, so don’t miss out! More information HERE!

Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

 

SCREAMING AT THE CANDYMAN HIMSELF!

24 Nov 2020 Leave a comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Things have been a lot calmer since the premier of our 50th episode this Halloween, but we’re still hard at work bringin’ ya further adventures from the wild weird west with an upcomin’ season yer sure to go bonkers over. In the meantime, our amigos over at our favorite palace of plastic playtime from yesteryear and today, Toy Federation, have been keepin’ us in the loop with even more horror icons they booked in light of all the con cancellations this year, and this time ’round, they wrangled in the Candyman himself, Tony Todd!

While initially intimidated to meet the fella whose mere presence sends folks runnin’ outta room, we were surprised Tony’s actually a big cut up. Rather than spookin’ fans with his loomin’ stature or gravely voice, he spent the majority of his time jokin’ ’round, sharin’ recipes, and even snagged a couple of comedy routines with us for his Instagram which was beyond unbelievable. He ended up bein’ so entertainin’, it’s any wonder someone thought he could translate into one of the scariest supernatural killers to ever be captured on celluloid, but that’s just how talented of a thespian he is.

While on his good side, we persuaded Tony to give us a few minutes for an interview and got more than we bargained for with all kinds of silly reactions and answers we never saw comin’! It was a little harder to pull a theme together for the questions this time compared to past interviews at Toy Federation, ’cause Tony has such a varied body of work after more than 30 years in the actin’ biz, but we think it all worked out and made for one funny vid y’all are sure to enjoy below. Let us know what ya think!

Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT THE SCREAM QUEEN NEXT DOOR, DANIELLE HARRIS!

06 Nov 2020 Leave a comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Boy, if y’all didn’t know better, you’d probably think we traded our digs at the Howl-Inn Grub & Spirits for our new favorite toy store, Toy Federation, ’cause that’s where we spent ‘nother weekend diggin’ through collections of yesteryear and today’s action figures while wranglin’ in visitin’ horror legends for a friendly chat ’bout different odds and ends of their careers. This week, that lucky icon gets to be none other than horror’s favorite scream queen next door, Danielle Harris!

With the chance to shoot the breeze for a minute, we were hard pressed to ask Danielle anythin’ that wasn’t already covered in a bajillion interviews ‘cross the interweb, but did find a lack of information regardin’ her stint as lead rugrat in several toy commercials from the ’80s. Diggin’ up her past playin’ with high dollar hunks of plastic, Danielle was more than happy to skip down memory lane with us. Just watch the vid below!

Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT WEREWOLVES AND DR. PEPPER WITH DAVID NAUGHTON!

16 Sep 2020 1 Comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Sorry, it’s been awhile since we last checked in, but Halloween’s right ’round the corner, and we’re balls to the wall crankin’ out the goods to ensure we get y’all the long awaited finale to our fifth season that also happens to be -(GASP!)- our 50TH EPISODE!! Jumpin’ jack-o-lanterns, right? Yup, it’s an all out spooktacular as we wrap up everything from our descent into the bowels of hell, finally review the winnin’ flicks of our Scream Freak Film Contest, and party with most guest star cameos we’ve ever had. Just check out some of these sneak peeks!

In the meantime, we had to tear ourselves away from the grindstone when we heard Toy Federation was bringin’ ‘nother horror hall of famer ’round their parts, and it was none other than the American Werewolf himself, David Naughton! With the chance to bend his ear for a quick chat, we were hard pressed to ask David anythin’ he hadn’t already answered a bajillion times ’bout his time as a special effects werewolf but did find a lack of information regardin’ his time as Dr. Pepper’s fizz pushin’ pitchman he fondly mentioned on An American Werewolf in London‘s commentary track. Decidin’ to dig up his past as the face of a generation of peppers, David was more than happy to share his unexpected career in soda ads from the very first commercial to his questionable separation An American Werewolf in London might be to blame for. Just watch the vid below!

Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

SCREAMING AT JAMES WINBURN, HALLOWEEN’S FALL GUY!

30 Jul 2020 1 Comment

by screamingsoup in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Boy, if y’all didn’t know better, you’d probably think we traded our digs at the Howl-Inn Grub & Spirits for our new favorite toy store, Toy Federation, ’cause that’s where we spent ‘nother weekend diggin’ through collections of plastic goods from yesteryear and today while shootin’ the breeze with horror legends. Ran by a swell bunch of horror lovin’ fan boys, these new amigos of ours are puttin’ their store to great use in the face of all the convention cancellations, makin’ it an intimate meetin’ ground for folks to continue seein’ stars from their favorite fright flicks.

This time ’round, they flew in seasoned stuntman James Winburn whose long and successful career is most celebrated for a fall he took from a second story balcony as Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s original Halloween. Bein’ one of the first actors in an exclusive club to play the infamous Shape, we were plenty excited to hear some of James’s stories from the set, but even happier he was willin’ to give Screaming Soup! a few minutes to talk ’bout his involvement with other cult classic movies and actors.

An easy goin’ workhorse, James was a hoot to talk to as he unloaded encyclopedias worth of old Hollywood knowledge on us. Talkin’ through recent dental work he had done, James shares his association with Michael Myers as a horror icon, recounts the horrifyin’ street violence surroundin’ the production of 1991’s Popcorn, recalls jokes he pulled on the set of Ilsa She-Wolf of the SS, fondly remembers the late Robert “Maniac Cop” Z’Dar, and shares some of the hardest hits he’s ever taken in the stunt business. In hindsight, the injuries segment’s a bit long, but we feel it’s important to document as much of these kinda stories as possible for the benefit of anyone interested in bein’ a stunt man and to really capture what a conversation with James is like.

There’s so many more of his movies we wanted to ask James ’bout (like the fact there’s a Gong Show movie), but we got a fantastic handful of behind the scenes stories ya ain’t gonna find anywhere else. Check the video out below, and enjoy!

Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!

See ya later, Scream Freaks!

Previous Older Entries

TwitterFacebook Youtube