Dark Shadows: Vampire History

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

"Dark Shadows" in theaters May 11!

Dark Shadows Trailer Premieres..and Confuses

If you are like me, you probably didn't guess the tone of this film from the stills released to date. That being the case, then like me, you completely overlooked the fact that Tim Burton is directing. Fail on my part. Dark Shadows seems to be setting itself up to be Burton's own Addams Family, and I am completely down with that!

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.



So we are talking campy 70's era soap opera themes with a vampire and a witch then, hmm? Sold. May 11 will come soon enough!

SDCC 2010: Bif Bang KA-Pow! Pop Culture Toy Overload

Bif Bang Pow are wish masters. We said "Dear Lord, Please bring us Flash Gordon action figures in our life time and if you've got some cosmic power left over after that, I'd just about kill in your name for a line of Big Lebowski toys." And lo, the Bif Bang happened and a booming voice came from a gargantuan bobble head bellowing WISH GRANTED. ...and it was good.

NOW Bif Bang Pow take San Diego Comic Con by storm with a host of pop culture properties in formats you'll die for. Here's the run down...

VENTURE BROTHERS were a risky proposition. Big Bang said..if you buy them...we'll make more! Well apparently, you bought em! Get ready for more Venture Adventure on the way with new additions to the MEGO-esque line including Dr. Orpheus and The Phantom Limb!!! I also wanted to make a quick note that you can still get Henchmen 21 and 24 from Entertainment Earth so HURRY and snap em up before they are gone.

TWILIGHT ZONE lines continue with innovative bobble heads, full size props to creep you out and those lovable MEGO-rific dolls commemorating your favorite Black and White moments with the characters who made them special.

LOST may have said their final goodbyes but BBP are only getting started on their toy domination of the ominous island. PLASTIC SHALL RULE YOU SMOKE MONSTER!! Which of course begs the question..How DOES one make a smoke monster action figure? SCIENCE!!

DEXTER may not have a lot on tap figure wise at the moment, but that doesn't mean he gets no plastic love. Check out the newest figure to wield the tools of the code and gasp as you realize a Dexter action figure (namely the Dark Avenger) will soon be a Toys R Us exclusive??!!

MOVIES have always been a staple of the BBP product and this year, there is still plenty to come. Flash Gordon, The Big Lebowski and Beastly step up to the plate while Kenny Powers of Eastbound and Down takes a swing at bobble head victory. And then there's Scott Ian...cuz who doesn't want Anthrax action figures?

And just because they were also in the Entertainment Earth booth as well, we shot up Spectre Toys' brilliant Dark Shadows line in all its MEGO-tastic glory. Enjoy!!

Entertainment Earth Hosting Dexter, Robot Chicken, Venture Brothers, LOST & More at SDCC

Entertainment Earth – http://www.entertainmentearth.com – drives San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC) to new heights of exhilaration with celebrity appearances, photo opportunities, and 23 exclusive or new product debuts from The Venture Bros.™, Lost™, The Twilight Zone™, Dexter™, and Eastbound & Down®. Also, during the show, Spectre Toys is presenting one SDCC Exclusive and two product debuts from Dark Shadows™, and NBC Universal will debut "Beyond Caprica - A Visitor's Pocket Guide to the Twelve Colonies" and an all-new Caprica™ T-shirt available for purchase at the booth. Additionally, Toys“R”Us® is offering three SDCC Exclusives and a product debut at the Entertainment Earth booth, including products based on Ghostbusters™, Halo: Reach™, Robot Chicken™, Transformers™, and Wild Grinders™. Show attendees will want to visit Entertainment Earth's booth #2343 in San Diego July 22-25!

Celebrity Appearances: Meet celebrities from some of the world's most popular movies and TV
series. Get your figures signed by The Venture Bros.™ creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer, Spawn™ creator / McFarlane Toys visionary Todd McFarlane, Robot Chicken's™ Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, Lara Parker from Dark Shadows™, Wild Grinders'™ Rob Dyrdek, and Caprica™ star Alessandra Torresani accompanied by accomplished writers Jane Espenson and Bob Harris. Celebrity appearances subject to change. Visit sdcc.entertainmentearth.com and the booth for specific talent, dates, and times… and surprise guests.

Exclusive Merchandise and Product Debuts:
(Prices include sales tax. Per-person limits may apply at the show. Pricing and availability subject to change without notice.)

• The Twilight Zone Travel through another dimension with this unbelievable array of SDCC Exclusive bobble heads and retro-style action figures based on fan-favorite episodes of the iconic TV series. These bobble heads, licensed from CBS Consumer Products and crafted by Bif Bang Pow!, are made of resin and stand about 7 inches tall:

Talky Tina Talking Bobble Head – In Color. Limited edition of 504 pieces. ($20)
Gremlin Bobble Head – In Color. Limited edition of 504 pieces. ($15)
Kanamit Bobble Head – In Color. Limited edition of 504 pieces. ($15)
Invader Bobble Head – In Color. Limited edition of 504 pieces. ($15)
Mystic Seer Bobble Head – In Color. Limited edition of 1,500 pieces. ($15)
For the very first time, 8-inch scale action figures – all in black and white – are available for fans to take home! The 1970's style SDCC Exclusive Talky Tina and Willie Action Figures present two of the most spine-chilling characters ever seen in The Twilight Zone™. Fully articulated, these killer figures are made in conjunction with EMCE Toys in the 8-inch scale, but on the approximately 6-inch tall "child" body type with episode-true fabric clothing. Also making their debut at Comic-Con are the rest of the all-new The Twilight Zone™ 8-inch action figure series, including The Gremlin, Kanamit, Jason Foster, and The Devil. And they're all just as creepy as the original characters! ($20 each)

• The Venture Bros. Fans can now own the first-ever line of action figures from Adult Swim's The Venture Bros.™, created by Bif Bang Pow! in conjunction with EMCE Toys. Debuting at Comic-Con will be highly articulated, retro-style figures of Dr. Venture, Brock Samson, The Monarch, and Dean Venture, as well as two SDCC Exclusives: Henchman Number 21 and Henchman Number 24. All six 8-inch figures bring sensational detail and authentic fabric clothing, and each captures that distinctive action-comedy mix that's synonymous with the toprated television series. ($20 each)

VENTURE BROTHERS creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick will be signing on Saturday, July 24th at 4:30 to 6pm.

• Eastbound & Down "I play real sports." With more heat on it than a Kenny Powers fastball, this 7-inch talking bobble head of the has-been pitcher curses and speaks 5 unforgettable phrases taken from the HBO® hit comedy series Eastbound and Down®. It's made of resin and features the Kenny Powers character in a baseball uniform. ($20)

• Lost Celebrate the end of an era with brand-new collectibles from ABC's mega-popular TV series Lost™. The SDCC Exclusive Claire Littleton Bobble Head features crazy, squirrelly Claire – and her "baby" – in superb detail. Sporting rugged island gear and a shotgun, she's made of resin and stands 7 inches tall. Limited edition of 1,500 pieces. ($15) And don't miss the champions of good and evil… Jacob and Man in Black Action Figures! Both are SDCC Exclusives crafted in retro, vintage-style sculpting with real fabric clothing. Standing on the EMCE Toys 8-inch scale action figure body with multiple points of articulation, the mysterious Jacob and his equally enigmatic nemesis, the Man in Black, are here to keep the memory of The Island alive. ($20 each)

• Dexter Since 2008, Showtime Network's Emmy-nominated drama series Dexter™ admirers have flocked to pick up Bif Bang Pow!'s fantastic exclusives at Comic-Con. Not shying away from our responsibilities, we've upped the ante this year to bring fans two all-new items that are sure to become instant hits. Dexter – and his son Harrison – make their way to Comic-Con in resin form in a cute 7-inch Dexter and Harrison Double-Bobbling Bobble Head SDCC Exclusive ($15). Action figure fans won't be left out either with the debut of the 7-inch Dexter in Jumpsuit. It eatures the part-time serial killer in cloth scrubs and cloth apron, and comes with a handsaw and welder's mask with a flip-down visor. ($20)

• Toys“R”Us San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives and First Reveals Toys“R”Us is offering three San Diego Comic-Con exclusives and the first chance to purchase a limited edition item before it’s available in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide: Ghostbusters™ "We're Ready to Believe You" Minimates Set ($17), Halo: Reach™ Noble Seven ($20), Robot Chicken™ 5-Inch Nerd Figure ($20), and Transformers™ Masterpiece Grimlock ($70).

ROBOT CHICKEN creators Matt Senreich and Seth Green will be signing on Friday, July 23rd at 11am to 12pm.

• NBC Universal Product Debuts from Caprica NBC Universal will debut "Beyond Caprica - A Visitor's Pocket Guide to the Twelve Colonies" ($10) and an all-new Caprica™ T-shirt ($20), available for purchase at Entertainment Earth's booth. Here's your chance to own a piece of the hit Syfy channel drama set in the Battlestar Galactica™ universe.

CAPRICA star Alessandra Torresani will be signing on Friday, July 23rd from 2:30 to 4:30. CAPRICA creatives Bob Harris (writer) and Jane Espenson (co-executive producer) will be signing Saturday, July 24th from 1pm to 2:30pm and Sunday, July 25th from 11am to 12pm.

• Spectre Toys SDCC Exclusive and Product Debuts from Dark Shadows From the supernatural gothic soap opera that made daytime television history, the mysterious unknown of Dark Shadows™ comes to life with these frighteningly realistic action figures from Spectre Toys. They stand 8 inches tall in fabric clothing. You don't want to miss these!
Werewolf Action Figure – SDCC Exclusive ($20)
Barnabas Collins Action Figure – SDCC Debut ($20)
Angelique Bouchard Action Figure – SDCC Debut ($20)

DARK SHADOWS star Lara Parker will be signing Saturday, July 24th from 3pm to 4pm.

ALSO SIGNING are Todd McFarlane and Rob Dyrdek. CLICK HERE for full details.

Toy Fair 2010: EMCE Toys

EMCE are the masterminds behind the recent surge of MEGO-esque retro action figures. We got a taste at Mattel and couldn't shoot their Universal Monsters line at Diamond (tho it seems some people were allowed. WHYYYY?!), but the boys had their own booth as well and were ready to flood your brain with childhood flashbacks!! Check out all the new items coming from Bif Bang Pow and (ironically) BOOM!

• LOST 70's Style Action Figures from Bif Bang Pow
  
• Scott Ian Retro Action Figure from Bif Bang Pow
  
• Dark Shadows Retro Action Figure from BOOM!
• Flash Gordomn Retro Action Figure from Bif Bang Pow
• Twilight Zone Retro Action Figures from Bif Bang Pow
• Venture Brothers Retro Action Figures from Bif Bang Pow

Thanks to Joe and Paul for their attention, amusing stories and access and Heather Buckley for her interview super powers! Note: Figures pictured are often not finished product. Final items may look different.