He who would gather honey must brave the sting of the bees! (And the hook of the hand); Looking at collectibles and anniversaries.

I thought I would talk about something any avid horror fan would find appealing; Collectibles! There are some amazing movie-themed collectibles available. This year marks some large milestones for horror films.  Amazing films that transcend the test of time do so because they are worthy of their longevity. And like any film geek will tell you; the more merchandise you can get your hands on the better! I myself have a smallish collection of goodies, and, I must admit I often have to stop myself from increasing that quantity to eccentricity status. I’ve chosen to review a small handful of movies celebrating big birthdays this year along with an assortment of trinkets that some people (me) might like to acquire. 

As I said, this year is the year of some spectacular benchmarks for Horror movies. The beloved German Expressionist work Nosferatu (1922) turns 100 and, to commemorate the occasion several remastered collector’s edition Blu-rays have been released, along with a multitude of memorabilia. Loot Crate has a “Grave Goods” March bundle that will include an exclusive 1:24 scale figurine on a display base with a printed background.

Candyman (1992): Celebrating the gloriousness of its 30th anniversary this year, Funko Pop! is bringing out a Candyman bundle of 4 limited collections. The characters (released previously as separate collectibles) are actually from the sequel that was written and directed by Jordan Peele (Get Out (2017)) and was released last year. The bundle includes a Chase, which for those who are “in the know” (i.e. geeks and nerds alike), I can tell you that this is something to get super-duper excited about. For those who aren’t; a Chase is a very rare version of a Pop collectible usually having some additional variants from the original. These generally become more valuable than their predecessors. The bundle packs are available for preorder at the moment and are pretty damn cool. (Verified technical terminology) (Not actually verified by anyone though!)

One of my favourite films ever made is the visually resplendent Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). This year it too will honour the 30th anniversary but there have been some fantastic collectibles released prior to this occasion. I do in fact own a few of said collectibles including some of the (below) Funko Pop! vinyl assortments. 

Limited edition t-shirts, DVDs, Blu-ray boxsets and a pretty impressive array of collectible figurines from varying companies are also ripe for procuring. So, if you have a few spare dollars that you’re in desperate need of outlaying; jump on ye olde Google, search the internet and commence the accumulating. 

Scream (1997): 25 years ago, moviegoers were introduced to a creepy, menacing antagonist that would permeate the horror and pop culture landscape. Its magnitude prior to that moment had not been seen since a gigantic, machete-wielding maniac in a hockey mask had slaughtered his way through the teenage population of Camp Crystal Lake back in 1981. Jason Voorhees was the literal slasher symbol of terror and his mask became the costume prop of choice for millions of Halloween enthusiasts worldwide. In 1997 Wes Craven introduced a new generation to a new figure; a black-cloaked villain who would bring forth a new wave of fear and excitement, appearing almost out of thin air and disappearing just as swiftly. His face was hidden beneath a latex creation that resembled a type of warped, distorted phantom. ‘Ghost-face’ became the penultimate anti-hero and that infamous mask has continued to both disarm and delight generations since its screen debut. Now, with the 5th instalment of the film franchise in its current release, there is solid proof that if something isn’t ‘broken’ then quite simply don’t fix it. The success of that formula has meant that Scream-themed movie merchandise and collectibles are plentiful. 

So, those are just some of the fantastic goodies you can get your hands on at the moment. With a slew of other big anniversaries this year to come, such as Poltergeist (1982) hitting 40 years, I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) turning 25, and Hellraiser (1987) commemorating 35 years, there are bound to be a lot more to add to the trophy case. For me, it means I’m going to need to add a few more trophy cases to my list also.