SPECTRE: A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER BONDS

Am I missing something? I read in the Papers that Spectre, the new Bond film, is tipped to become the biggest grossing movie in UK history if not the World!

I think cinema-goers must have seen a completely different flick to me! I though it was at least an hour too long, boring in the extreme and completely lacking in suspense. The plot was hammered together by seeming brutes bereft of any of Fleming's subtlety or charm and lacking any of the usual sense of fate we came to love anew in Casino Royale, QoS and SkyFall.

These earlier films gave us the gritty no-nonsense Bond we all craved, gilded brilliantly with golden plots and well-formed bad guys doing very bad things. Daniel Craig's stunts were to die for too: the white-knuckled thrill of the Parkour scaffold battle had us all gripping the seat in front of us and the final Skyfall skirmish was just High Noon in the heather.

Not so Spectre. From the word go, with that utterly atrocious Helicopter fight over Mexico City, it was double O hell and certainly not heaven. I can see why born-to-play-Bond Craig would be hacked off with this ham fisted mess. And what happened to Christoph Waltz? All he had to do in Inglorious Bastards was drink milk and we were terrified. Here he cavorts around a lab on an office chair. Big sweat!

More Basildon than James, the story overall was a tedious sleep-inducing monster. Fans say its a confident slice of the genre. I say its a cynical pile of stodge, stale and bloated. For Bond's sake bring back Judi Dench from the dead and sack the scriptwriters. Idris Elba should demand it!

Shaken not stirred? I was neither. More like Regretting I paid!

OF EDWARD HYDE, SAGA NOREN AND FRANKENSTEIN

I am thoroughly enjoying Jekyll and Hyde on ITV here in the UK. Its a rare thing to have classy monster fayre on the telly before the 9pm watershed.

And by God is this classy. Charlie Higson has penned a cracker. Relying not on special make-up, Hyde is a raging Hulk-like brawler who loves to smash stuff.

With elements recalling Phantasm, Van Helsing and The Extraordinary League of Gentlemen, the battle with Tenebrae is slippery and exciting and Hyde's role without is must-see viewing...if I say so myself. Grrrrr!

Anyone else watching it?

Talking of must-see TV, the Bridge III started last night. For me Saga Noren is the most riveting character to appear on the small screen for years. With an explosive beginning, this new Scandi-noir has me and Missus Moonbase hooked already! 

Anyone else?

Further gothic derring-do can be had in the Frankenstein Chronicles on ITV Encore twould appear. This is a subscription channel so I won't get to see it alas. Starring Boromir himself, Sean 'still sharp' Bean, the 10 part series kicked-off this month.

Anyone watching it?

KEVIN'S DINKY SRN6 HOVERCRAFT TOY

Here are some of my Dinky SRN6 hovercraft. The sea in these pictures is the glass top of my garden table! Kevin

Into the Microverse

As mentioned earlier, Denys Fisher Cyborg toys were quickly replaced with Mego Micronauts figures, an offshoot of Takara's massive Microman line in Japan. Following the success of Marvels Ant Man and his journey into the 'Quantum realm', the smart money is getting behind Micronauts as the next big thing. Hasbro have optioned a new figure line and theres rumour of a crossover with its historical relative Transformers. What shape the new figures and attendant comic strip may arrive in is anybodys guess, but the original line and their more recent Microman iterations are still wonderful toys.

Pit of Peril

Some Imai small scale kits.

LADY PENELOPE MASK?

I was browsing Ben Cooper masks the other day and I came across this one:

I immediately thought...Lady Penelope! But I was as wrong as a Toilet Roll Tracy Island. Its the Barbie Princess!

In fact I have been unable to find any vintage toy masks for Lady Penelope. There were toy play suits and jewelry but no masks. 

Have I got this right readers?

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO : HEIST SOCIETY

The latest TAG episode, Heist Society is one which quite a few fans of both the classic and re booted series have been looking forward to. It was written by screenwriter  Peter Briggs,  who apart from being of big fan of the  original Thunderbirds,  is probably best known  as being  script co-writer for the film 'Hellboy'.

The teaser opens with the Tracy boys'  discussing a trip being made by Lady Penelope and Professor Moffat (Brains' old friend from previous episode,  Heavy Metal) aboard the underwater train,  The Reykjavik Express.

Lady P and the Professor are making the trip to a Global Defence Force facility in Iceland, and are carrying  a newly discovered particle  named  'Centurion two-one' (nice touch , Peter).

Naturally,  the forces of evil have their eyes on it - well, one pair of eyes actually. I think you can guess who!

Anyway,  the plot, which many might think  gives a passing nod  to original series episode,  ' The Perils of Penelope ', is full of action and innovative ideas. ( Is there anything Fab 1 can't do! ) 

  

KARL'S BROTHER'S IMAI SHOOTING STAR KIT

Hi Woodsy:

This is part of my late brother's estate. He had TONS of vintage toys, from well-known things like Star Wars and Alien to completely unknown things like this Japanese anime item. Can anyone help identify it?

Thanks so much... cool blog!

Karl