Michael Myers Dr Loomis HALLOWEEN box set
© NECA
Toy Maniac: Top 10 Horror Action Figures
By: Robert T. TrateDate: Thursday, October 09, 2008
How can I not mention horror movie action figures in my October toy column? I decided to list my Top 10 Horror figures in honor of All Hallow’s Eve. Everyone has their own opinion on what should be on the top 10. The following are my personal favorites and what I deem worthy of being displayed each and every Halloween.
10. Personally, John Carpenter’s Halloween was a film I was growing tired of. It no longer held any surprises for me. After watching Rob Zombie’s Halloween I have welcomed Carpenter’s classic back and now enjoy every frame as if it were my first time watching it. Number ten on my list is NECA’s Michael Myers as “Bob the Ghost”. Not only is this from one of the best death scenes in the film but it also silences P.J. Soles’s Lynda from saying “totally” for the duration of the film.
Michael Myers as Bob the Ghost from Halloween (1978)
© NECA
9. She was not only a cheating wife who slept with her husband’s brother but she also has sex with his half resurrected corpse. Julia from Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 makes the list at number nine. This completely naked and skinless action figure screams Halloween. My recommendation is to put her on display but keep her just out of view and let someone discover the true horror that waits in your living room. The likeness is uncanny and it is perhaps the only completely skinless action figure out there.
Julia from Hellraiser 2 by NECA
© NECA
8. Remember when the movie Scream was fun? Probably not, because Hollywood loves to exploit an original idea and mass produce it until we are sick of it. Think back hard enough and erase all the sequels and the copycats. I don’t even think of it as a horror film anymore. I think of it as a murder mystery wrapped in a horror movie. Nonetheless Ghost Face deserves his place on the Halloween mantle.
Ghost Face Movie Maniacs by McFarlane Toys
© McFarlane Toys
7. He’s coming back (again) to theaters but he has become a perennial favorite of the genre. Halloween wouldn’t be complete without one person donning a hockey mask and carrying a big knife. There have been plenty of figures of Mr. Voorhees but this one, which debuted at the 2008 Toy Fair, is my favorite. This Jason is tattered, beaten and still ready to slice and dice you to death. Standing at twelve inches his shadow looms over everyone else on this list.
Jason from Mezo’s 12 inch Cinema of Fear Line
© Mezo
6. What Halloween isn’t complete without watching Walt Disney’s creepy classic the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Who would ever think that a short musical cartoon starring Bing Crosby would terrify audiences. Equally as appropriate for Halloween is Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow. The Headless Horsemen figure (played by Ray Park) emerges every Halloween in my home. It is a classic and probably the only figure that has been called “headless” that came with four additional heads.
Headless Horsemen from Tim Burton’s Sleep Hollow
© McFarlane Toys
5. The Evolution of Evil has never been more prevalent than in NECA’s Halloween 2 pack. Those “lifeless eyes, the devils eyes” in both versions of Michael Myers is what any true film and action figure aficionado live for at Halloween. Sure, Michael took the tenth spot already but he isn’t finished on this list yet.
Cult Classics Halloween Evolution of Evil 2-Pack
© NECA
4. There haven’t been many figures of Anthony Perkins made in his classic Psycho character. His points of articulation have never been my favorite but his face is dead on. McFarlane Toys did an excellent job getting his likeness right. If only they would go back to making classic figures like this again. At least they set the bar for how figures are made and in doing so changed the industry for the better.
Norman Bates Movie Maniacs
© McFarlane Toys
3. When McFarlane’s Movie Maniacs debuted they featured all of cinema’s modern monsters. Absent from the collection was Hellraiser’s Pinhead. Licensing rights kept Pinhead (and the Cenobites) from making their debut until much later. Thankfully the figures lived up to my expectations. That tiny puzzle box has always clinched it for me.
Pinhead and Chatterer action figures from Hellraiser
© Robert Trate
2. He was the first one I bought when McFarlane’s Movie Maniacs came out. Parent groups were upset about how bloody he was and there was this rumor going around that the red paint was cat’s blood. There is a variant of this figure with a head in the bucket (said to be the sculptor). So look for that one for your collection. Of course Leatherface has been done since but this one will always be the best.
Movie Maniacs Series 1 Leatherface by McFarlane Toys
© McFarlane Toys
1. Not many heroes in horror movies get an action figure. That is why NECA’s meeting between Dr. Samuel Loomis and Michael Myers is number one my Halloween list. Both characters have become synonymous with Halloween and this combination is perfect. Michael’s mold seems like the same Michael that NECA has put out before but it is Donald Pleasence’s likeness that solidifies its number one spot.
Michael Myers Dr Loomis HALLOWEEN box set
© NECA
RETRO Toy Commercial of the week:
With the Watchmen now just a few months away I have been thinking, what is the next movie that will dominate the hype machine? The answer has to be J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. I am starting the hype right now with my retro Mego Star Trek toy commercial. The beauty of it is most of these figures have been reproduced are currently available through Diamond Select Toys.
Video Games Releases For the Week:
PS3, PS2 and PSP
Crash: Mind Over Mutant by Sierra Entertainment (PlayStation2)
Crash: Mind Over Mutant by Sierra Entertainment (Sony PSP)
Fracture by Lucas Arts Entertainment (PLAYSTATION 3)
My Spanish Coach by UBI Soft (Sony PSP)
NBA Live 09 by Electronic Arts (PLAYSTATION 3)
NBA Live 09 by Electronic Arts (Sony PSP)
NBA Live 09 by Electronic Arts (PlayStation2)
NBA '09 The Inside by Sony Computer Entertainment (PLAYSTATION 3)
NBA '09 The Inside by Sony Computer Entertainment (PlayStation2)
NBA '09 The Inside by Sony Computer Entertainment (Sony PSP)
NBA 2K9 by 2K Games (PLAYSTATION 3)
NBA 2K9 by 2K Games (PlayStation2)
Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS
Army Men Soldiers of Misfortune by Zoo Games (Nintendo Wii)
Bleach: Dark Souls by Sega Of America, Inc. (Nintendo DS)
Crash: Mind Over Mutant by Sierra Entertainment (Nintendo DS)
Crash: Mind Over Mutant by Sierra Entertainment (Nintendo Wii)
Game Party 2 by Midway Entertainment (Nintendo Wii)
The Legend Of Kage 2 by Square Enix (Nintendo DS)
NBA Live 09 All-Play by Electronic Arts (Nintendo Wii)
North American Hunting Extravaganza by Destineer Inc (Nintendo Wii)
Polar Bowling by Mumbo Jumbo (Nintendo DS)
Prey The Stars by KOEI Corp (Nintendo DS)
Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals by Disney (Nintendo DS)
Slingo Quest by Mumbo Jumbo (Nintendo DS)
Xbox 360
Crash: Mind Over Mutant by Sierra Entertainment (Xbox 360)
Fracture by Lucas Arts Entertainment (Xbox 360)
Guilty Gear 2: Overture by Aksys (Xbox 360)
NBA Live 09 by Electronic Arts (Xbox 360)
NBA 2K9 by 2K Games (Xbox 360)
PC
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway by Ubisoft (Windows)
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Limited Edition by Ubisoft (Windows Vista / XP)
Can You See What I See? by Mumbo Jumbo (Windows 2000 / Vista / XP)
Etch a Sketch by MUMBO JUMBO (Windows, Windows XP)
Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy by Her Interactive (Windows Vista / XP)
Ranch Rush by Mumbo Jumbo (Windows 2000 / 95 / 98 / Me / Vista / XP)
More From Mania
Action Figure Review: Universal Monsters Dioramas
SIMPSONS TREE HOUSE OF HORROR III
(Thursday, October 10, 2002)
JAMES BOND ACTION FIGURES
(Thursday, September 19, 2002)
LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER 6-Inch & 12-Inch Action Figures (Playmates)
(Sunday, June 24, 2001)
Toyaholics Unanimous #15: Puppet Master Deluxe Collection Action Figures, Series One
(Sunday, November 5, 2000)
New & Rare STAR WARS Figures; Bates Mansion Model Kit
(Sunday, September 17, 2000)
SLEEPY HOLLOW Action Figures
(Saturday, November 20, 1999)
See more related content
