Little Shop Of Horrors DVD (Warner Bros. Home Video)

Little Shop of Horrors
Warner Bros. Home Video
1998

On November 1, 1996, the DVD format hit store shelves for the first time in Japan, before spreading across the world in 1997. Much like its predecessor, the Laserdisc, this new disc based format came to the market with a hefty price tag which wasn't appealing to many average movie buyers. As such, in its infancy, it was labeled the video format for the film connoisseur.

Another format war started, this time between DVD and DIVX. Though the battle was short, the feud was fueled by studios leaning heavily into one format over the other, making it difficult for buyers to find the movies they wanted during these early years.

One of the bigger names to back DVD was Warner Bros. Home Video, who would release the 1986 musical, Little Shop of Horrors on February 23, 1998 as a Special Edition. This copy remained on shelves for just a few days before it was recalled, and later replaced with a revised version. This sudden removal didn't allow for many copies to be sold, making the film scarce.

Reissued DVD

This in turn made the original version skyrocket in price, making it the first DVD to also increase in value on secondary markets. Soon, people were paying upwards of $100.00 to own Little Shop of Horrors. But, why? What happened to suddenly make the cult classic film the most valuable DVD in the world?

"Special Features" as noted on the back of both
the original release and reissued DVD covers

Even in its infancy, one of the lures to DVD was the inclusion of special features, and this is what it all came down to on this particular release. On the back side of the disc, where these extras were housed, there was a black and white alternate ending, which showed the entire original ending to the film. This was something, which to date, had never been shared outside of the film's initial test screenings. However, the problem all came down to rights and approvals, which belonged to, and were the discretion of Producer, David Geffen.

Geffen said, "They put out a black-and-white, un-scored, un-dubbed video copy of the original ending that looked like s**t." The studio was forced to remove the DVD from store shelves, and replace it with an alternate version which didn't include the special feature. As word spread, prices rose, and thus the first collectible DVD was born. To this day, the original version remains difficult to find. This, again, is because so few copies were sold during its brief time on shelves.

Prices have since subsided, mainly because the original ending was restored in full color, and included on the October 9, 2012 released Director's Cut. However, for those looking for a true "special edition", the original 1998 release may very well be the one and only source for fans to see the unaltered black and white print, which featured no sound effects, music ques, or special effects.

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DC Comics Super Heroes (ERTL)

DC Comics Super Heroes
ERTL
1990

It's been a hot minute since I've done a good ol' fashion toy cataloging post. Boy oh boy was it fun to get back to basics, researching a line I was unfamiliar with, and tracking down package samples. Good stuff!

Join me today as I take a look at the 1990 diecast line of DC Comics super heroes produced by ERTL. Play wise, there's little you can do with them as toys, what with being formed metal on pegs. What you see is what you get.

However, if you think outside of the box a bit, you could definitely see the usability of incorporating these into a tabletop miniatures or traditional pen and paper roleplaying game. Of course, they also simply display nicely.

In total, ERTL produced eight different characters across ten figurines. Despite the volume of them, there are glaring omissions, as well as a very off balance hero to villain ratio.

Rather than produce two of Batman, and two of Superman, the line could have been more suitably fleshed out with the likes of Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and any number of iconic nemesis of the heroes. I suppose their absences made for the perfect opportunity for a follow-up wave. However, that never came to be.

Each figurine came packed with a collectible trading card which featured a classic DC Comic cover. However, this too feels like a missed opportunity where the cards could have featured the books which were the characters actual first appearance. Superman appears to be the only one to receive that honor in the line.

Back in the day, Toys R Us sold these for $1.99 each, making them relatively affordable for what you get out of them. Sadly, secondary markets these days are not as kind. Most sellers can't even give these away, and if / when they do sell, which is few and far between, it's usually for a dollar each. Occasionally, a seller offloading a full set as a lot can fare well. However, the norm is that they're usually overpriced, contributing to the multitude which go unsold.

The cardback itself is relatviely plain, utilizing the logo produced for the consecutively released Toy Biz line of the same name. While neither were very popular, at least with the latter you got some great artwork on the packages.

The back of the card is all the more boring with its neutral color and excessive text. It's very obvious that the idea here was to keep these "toys" cheap, cutting corners at every turn possible. Fortunately, the level of detail on the figurines themselves were not impacted by this plan.

Those looking to get the majority of the characters in one fell swoop could pick up a six pack released in correlation with the single cardbacks. At $9.99 (original retail price), this essentially meant you were getting one free.

The multipack seems to be harder to find than the single carded ones, but this doesn't necessarily equate to dollars in return. Some sellers have been successful in getting $10.00 for the pack, but much like the singles, they are typically priced higher than most people will pay.

I've personally never been a fan of miniature figures, but I can appreciate them for what they are. Even at a quick glance, it's no mistaking who each character is supposed to represent, and the attention to detail for not only how small they are, but the original retail price, is impressive. These would definitely be great to collect for a collector on a budget, with minimal space, or simply wanting to get a few more pieces to fill in the gaps of a shelf. Of course, they're also perfect for the collector who simply wants to own them.

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Alvin And The Chipmunks On DVD

 

It's sad to think that the classic 80's cartoon series, Alvin And The Chipmunks, will most likely never see a full fledged DVD release. As many of you know, the show borrowed liberally from 80's pop culture, specifically the music of the era. While the songs were recorded by the Chipmunks, or Chipettes, as a whole, the licensing behind them would probably be a nightmare to obtain for a home video release. Further, it would be quite expensive. Basically, the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze.

However, all is not lost when it comes to this animated classic. Over the years, there have been several DVD releases which encompass a good 1/3 of the series, as well as the majority of the specials.

Today, I'm going through these, showing you just how you too can get your Alvin And The Chipmunks fix.

Note: When referencing the episodes, these are denoted by a number sequence in parentheses. "S" stands for the word, "Season", followed by the season number, which is the first number in the sequence, and then episode number, which are the last two numbers. The show was usually broken down into segments, and in these cases, the number sequence is followed by an "A" or "B", denoting if it was the first or second segment in the 22 minute block. For example, S112A would mean that this particular episode was season one, episode twelve, segment "A".

Alvin And The Chipmunks: A Christmas Chipmunk
Released: 2005
Features: Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll (S713)*Dave's Wonderful Life(S624)*A Chipmunk Christmas (1981 Special)

It's worth noting that these "red label" Alvin And The Chipmunks DVD's as shown in the photos are 2008 re-releases.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Adventure
Released: 2006
Features the 1987 theatrical feature film, The Chipmunk Adventure

This film was previously released on DVD in 2006, and after this particular 2008 release (as seen below), was release in 2014 on Blu-Ray.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Trick Or Treason
Released: 2006
Features: Babysitter Fright Night (S613)*Theodore's Life As A Dog (S621A)*Nightmare On Seville Street (S703A)*No Chipmunk Is An Island (S613A)*Trick Or Treason (1994 Special)

This DVD is similar, but not the same as the 2012 released Alvin And The Chipmunks: Halloween Collection. More on that further down in this post.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Valentine
Released: 2007
Features: Dr. Simon And Mr. Heartthrob (S705B)*Dear Diary (S707B)*Theodore And Juliet (S619A)*I Love The Chipmunks (1984 Special)
 
Before picking up this DVD, check out Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Valentines Collection, noted further down in this post.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Chipmunks Go To The Movies
Released: 2007
Features: Star Wreck: The Absolutely Final Frontier (S806)*Batmunk (S804)*Funny, We Shrunk The Adults (S812)

Before buying this DVD, it's worth noting that all of these episodes are available on a variety of later releases, which offer additional content not found on this disc. As such, this one may be worth skipping.

Alvin And The Chipmunks Go To The Movies: Funny, We Shrunk The Adults
Released 2008
Features: Funny, We Shrunk The Adults (S812)*Back To Our Future (S801)*Bigger (S802)

This release features the first of three episodes noted in the above Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Chipmunks Go To The Movies.

Alvin And The Chipmunks Go To The Movies: Daytona Jones And The Pearl Of Wisdom
Released: 2008
Features: Daytona Jones And The Pearl Of Wisdom (S805)*Batmunk (S804)*Robomunk (S807)

This release features the second of three episodes noted in the above Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Chipmunks Go To The Movies.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Alvinnn!!! Edition
Released: 2008
Features: The Curse Of Lontiki (S112B)*Mr. Fabulous (S105A)*Unidentified Flying Chipmunk (S106A)*A Horse, Of Course (S202B)*New, Improved Simon (S211A)*Snow Job (S209B)*Maids In Japan (S210A)*Every Chipmunk Tells A Story (S306B)*Romancing Miss Stone (S302B)*Three Alarm Alvin (S303B)*Alvin's Oldest Fan (S310B)*A Chip Off The Old Tooth (S303A)*What Ever Happened To Dave Seville (S403A)*Cadet's Regrets (S610)

With two discs, and fourteen shorts, this release certainly gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration
Released: 2008
Features: Food For Thought (S604)*Cookie Chomper III (S701)*Dave's Getting Married (S612)*A Chipmunk Celebration (1994 Special)

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Classic Holiday Gift Set
Released: 2008
Features: A Chipmunk Christmas (1981 Special)*Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration (1994 Special)*Trick Or Treason (1994 Special)

This DVD only features holiday specials, and all of them are available in more definitive editions, which have already been mentioned above.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Chipettes
Released: 2009
Features: May The Best Chipmunk Win (S113B)*Operation Theodore (S208B)*Sisters (S304B)*The Greatest Show-Offs On Earth (S211B)*My Fair Chipette (S210B)*Tell It To The Judge (S501B)

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Mystery Of The Easter Chipmunk
Released: 2009
Features: Snow Wrong (S213B)*Luck O' The Chipmunks (S618B)*A Special Kind Of Champion (S622B)*Thinking Cap Trap (S703B)*The Easter Chipmunk (1995 Special)

Before buying this DVD, it's worth noting that all of these episodes are available on a a similar DVD, Alvin And The Chipmunks: Easter Collection, which also includes an additional episode. As such, this one may be worth skipping.

Alvin And The Chipmunks Go To The Movies: Star Wreck
Released: 2009
Features: Star Wreck: The Absolute Final Frontier (S806)*Elementary, My Dear Simon (S602)*Chip Tracy (S810)

This release features the third of three episodes noted in the above Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Chipmunks Go To The Movies.

The Very First Alvin Show
Released: 2009
Features: Stanley The Eagle*Oh, Gondaleiro*Invents The Baseball*I Wish I Could Speak French*A Chipmunk Reunion (1985 Special)*Rockin' Through The Decades (1990 Special)

While the "episode" on this DVD set come from the 1961 series, the two specials, A Chipmunk Reunion, and Rock' Through The Decades, were both associated with the 80's series. This release is the only way to get them to date, making this a must have.

Alvin And The Chipettes: Cinderella, Cinderella
Released: 2010
Features: Cinderella, Cinderella (S405)*Alvie's Angels (S609)*The Brunch Club (S603)

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Driving Dave Crazy
Released: 2011
Features: Dave's Getting Married (S612)*Every Chipmunk Tells A Story (S306B)*Romancing Miss Stone (S302B)*Maids In Japan (S210A)*The Incredible Shrinking Dave (S108B)*Mother's Day (S106B)

While this set contains quite a few episodes, the unfortunate state of affairs is that it only has two episodes you can't get on other releases.

Christmas With The Chipmunks
Released: 2005
Features: Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll (S713)*Dave's Wonderful Life(S624)*A Chipmunk Celebration (1994 Special)*A Chipmunk Christmas (1981 Special)

As noted above, this DVD is similar to the 2006 Alvin And The Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas. While this latter version includes the additional special, A Chipmunk Celebration, this can be obtained on the above Alvin And The Chipmunks: Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration. As such, buying these two DVD's renders this release unnecessary.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Valentines Collection
Released: 2012
Features: Dr. Simon And Mr. Heartthrob (S705B)*Dear Diary (S707B)*Theodore And Juliet (S619A)*Sploosh (S812)*I Wish I Could Speak French (from the original 1961 The Alvin Show)*I Love The Chipmunks (1984 Special)
 
As noted above, you should check this particular DVD out prior to picking up Alvin And The Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Valentine. This newer release contains two additional episodes, and while one of those is from the 60's series, the other is from season eight of the eighties series. Essentially, there''s more bang for your buck with this version.

The Chipette Diaries
Released: 2012
Features: Alvie's Angels (S609)*May The Best Chipmunk Win (S113B)*Tell It To The Judge (S501B)*My Fair Chipette (S210B)*The Greatest Show-Offs On Earth (S211B)*The Chipettes (S101B)

This DVD is bogged down with shorts available on other discs, which is why it's disappointing that the only "new" one available on this is the debut of The Chipettes in their self titled episode.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Batmunk
Released: 2012
Features: Batmunk (S804)*Treasure Island (S606)*Elementary, My Dear Simon (S602).

While two of these three episodes can be found on other releases, this is the only way to get the episode Treasure Island to date.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Halloween Collection
Released: 2012
Features: Babysitter Fright Night (S613)*Theodore's Life As A Dog (S621A)*Nightmare On Seville Street (S703A)*Once Upon A Crime (S615)*Trick Or Treason (1994 Special)

As noted above, this DVD is similar to Alvin And The Chipmunks: Trick Or Treason. The difference being that the prior released DVD contained the episode, No Chipmunk Is An Island (S613A), which has been removed from this release, and replaced with Once Upon A Crime (S615). The only way to get these two episodes, so far, is to buy both of these releases.

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Easter Collection
Released: 2009
Features: Snow Wrong (S213B)*Luck O' The Chipmunks (S618B)*A Special Kind Of Champion (S622B)*Thinking Cap Trap (S703B)*The Picture Of Health (S205A)*The Easter Chipmunk (1995 Special)

As noted above, this release is similar to Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Mystery Of The Easter Chipmunk. However, this latter version contains the additional episode, The Picture Of Health (S205A).

The Chipettes: Cinderella? Cinderella!
Released: 2013
Features: Cinderella, Cinderella (S405)*The Chipette Story (S308)*Sisters (S304A)*Operation, Theodore (S208A)

Though similar to other releases, this disc is the only way to get the episode, The Chipette Story (S308).

Alvin And The Chipmunks: Driving Dave Crazier
Released: 2013
Features: Cookie Chomper III (S701)*Grounded Chipmunk (S608)*Whatever Happened To Dave Seville (S403A)*A Chip Off The Old Tooth (S303A)

Though similar to other releases, this disc is the only way to get the episode, Grounded Chipmunk (S608).

Though there are clearly some releases that can be skipped, compiling the majority of these will garner you fifty-six of the one hundred sixty-eight shorts,  seven of the nine specials, and the full length feature film. While we can wish future DVD releases will cover more ground, with the latest release being nine years ago, it's not a hopeful outcome. For now, something is better than nothing.

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Rubik's Cube (Ideal)

 

I had one. You had one. We all had one. As children of the 80's it was impossible not to own a Rubik's Cube at some point. It was every parent's favorite educational game / toy, and a blessing on car rides in a pre handheld gaming world.

Magic Cube, or Bűvös kocka, as its original 1975 patent translates it in Hungarian, was created by Ernő Rubik, as a tool for solving the structural problem of moving the parts independently without the entire mechanism falling apart. Rubik stumbled upon the concept that he had created a puzzle box when shuffling the squares for the first time, and attempting to restore it.

The first cubes were sold in Budapest toy shops in 1977. However, it wouldn't be until Rubik met Austrian salesman, Tibor Laczi, that the small puzzle would garner its greatest success. With the approval of the inventor, Laczi took the Cube to Germany's Nuremberg Toy Fair in February 1979. It was here that it garnered the attention of Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer, who worked a deal with Ideal Toys to release Magic Cube worldwide.

Ideal wanted a name that was recognizable, and could be trademarked. It was this thought process that lead to the box being named after its inventor, and the name was officially changed in 1980. However, this wasn't until after the toy manufacturer considered other names, such as The Gordian Knot and Inca Gold.

In addition to the name change, Rubik's Cube underwent significant revisions to meet with safety regulations in the West. Part of these changes incorporated an overall lighter puzzle box. With everything in place, production began, and the first wave shipped from Hungry in May of 1980.

Though sales were mild at first, Ideal set in motion a heavy advertising campaign which pushed the toy into the spotlight across homes via daily newspapers. As sales picked up, so too did its notoriety, winning the puzzle several awards across Germany, UK, USA, and France.

By 1981, Rubik's Cube was a household name, with sales estimated at two hundred million worldwide. This year also saw the first speed championship hosted by the Guinness Book of World Records. For those who remained in the amature class, several published books regarding solving the Cube were also released to help with the puzzle.

Popularity of the toy even caught the attention of ABC Television, who secured the rights, and developed a cartoon as part of The Pac-Man / Rubik, the Amazing Cube Hour block. The series ran for one season, consisting of thirteen episodes which aired from September through December of 1983.

Sales dropped in 1982, with the New York Times reporting that the craze had died. However, this was only true in the USA. Whereas in several communist countries, demand remained high, with the toy continuing to be sought after from initial shortages. Though it is fair to say that overall sales had definitely plummeted by 1983 as compared to 1981.

Despite this, the Rubik's Cube has remained a staple item on toy shelves for decades, even seeing a revitalization in the 2000's. Championships also resumed for the first time since 1982 in 2003, and have remained a mainstay across the globe as people continue to battle for the coveted Guinness World Records title for fastest time. Feliks Zemdegs is the current title holder, solving the cube in 4.22 seconds.

As for me, I'll have to suffice for the tried and true tactic of peeling the stickers off, and unscrewing the center bit which holds it in place. I doubt I'll be winning any records going that route, but hey, I too solved the mystery of the Rubik's Cube.

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Tim Burton's Batman In Comics

In the summer of 1989, my brother and I were dropped off at a local cinema in Bend, Oregon, cash in hand from our parents to see the film, Batman. As we found our seats in the theater, my young mind had no idea what to expect. I knew very little about Batman other than what I had seen in comics, or on television via the 60's re-runs. All I knew was that I was excited to see the film ever since seeing the first trailer on television.

Looking back on that day, it's interesting that my brother went with me. He's never been into comics, to this day won't watch any of the numerous Marvel movies. Yet, on this day, he was side by side with his younger brother to take in the flick.

I soaked in every minute of the two hour and six minute film, enthralled with the sights, sounds, and everything in between. The movie was amazing, and I wanted more! This was easy to do, as Warner Bros. seemed eager and willing to promote the film through any form of merchandise they could license. Shirts, hats, drinking glasses, various novelty toys, Play-Doh sets, Toy Biz action figures, movie novelizations, soundtracks from both Prince and Danny Elfman, and a fantastic one-shot comic book adaptation from DC Comics, the latter of which we're focusing on today.

When I received my own copy of the 1989 DC Comics tie in, I read, re-read, and re-re-read that thing so many times that I wore the spine out of the prestige format book. I remember being so enthralled with the cover art which looked just like the actors. This blew my mind as a kid that someone could draw like this.

When word came that a sequel was in the works, I was on the edge of my seat. I remember watching a behind the scenes making of video one even before the film hit theaters, and drooling at seeing Batman go toe to toe with Penguin and Catwoman. Everything looked bigger and better, and there was no way I was going to miss out on seeing the film.

Unlike the first one, I don't honestly remember when that actually occurred. I don't recall any theater trips, but I do know my dad got it on laserdisc when it was released on home video. I about wore that thing out watching it over and over.

Much like the prior film, I also gave the DC Comics adaptation a read multiple times. However, at this point, I was also big into collecting comics, and was fortunate enough to have both the standard and prestige formats. This allowed me to "collect" the premium version, while reading the rack edition.

When I caught wind that DC Comics was returning to the world of Tim Burton's Batman, I was intrigued enough to look into the details. With Sam Hamm, the original co-writer of the first film, and story credit for Batman Returns helming the story, I felt confident that the source material would be respected.

True to comics these days, DC went overboard with variant covers. I wish I could say that all of them here encompass the whole batch, but that simply isn't the case. Every time I look I find some form of 1 in 100 variant cover that was sold as a dealer incentive, or a virgin cover. On top of that, there's also a Wal-Mart variant of issue 1 that was only available in a four-pack.

While it was awesome to catch up with the Burtonverse of Batman, as a whole the series really didn't deliver the punch that I thought it would. The action was minimal, and the story relatively bland, and uninteresting. The Billy Dee Williams persona of Two-Face really doesn't capture the essence of the character, and I found myself not really caring about the shoehorned backstory. Further, the ending was anticlimactic, and ended abruptly baiting a sequel that hopefully won't happen.

All and all, I don't think this would have been as popular as the original two films had it followed them in theaters.

The biggest problems surrounding the series didn't even entail the story or artwork. Rather, the consistent delays resulted in massive gaps in between issue releases. This only served to make my desire to finish the whole story less and less appealing.

With issue number one launching in August 2021, ideally, the story arc should have been wrapped up in January 2022. While things started out monthly, issue four wasn't released until December, five didn't hit shelves until a full four months later in April 2022, and the final issue delayed until July!

These long gaps often resulted in me forgetting what I had read from the prior issue, which compounded my overall disinterest. When it all wrapped up, I frankly didn't care anymore, and just wanted to put a lid on the series.

As an honorable mention, DC Comics also produced movie adaptations of the final two films in the "saga" of 80's / 90's Batman. What's interesting about these releases is how pricy they can be, as compared to the original Batman and Batman Returns adaptations. For films which weren't perceived to be as good as their predecessors, the comics can easily cost you ten, or more, dollars each.

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