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Haynerland is the home of my writing about theme parks, travel, podcasting, and much more.
Matthew Lillard Talks Spirits, Horror, and ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ at NYCC 2024
Five Nights at Freddy's star Matthew Lilllard talks about his new spirit company and how he wants to return to Scream!
The Penguin Review - Gotham City Thrives Outside Of The Batman
When it was first announced that Colin Farrell would reprise his role as Oswald Cobblepot from 2022's The Batman in a streaming series, it was a scary proposition. After all, we've seen what happens when a popular superhero movie franchise continues its story on TV. We all saw how Marvel's Agents of SHIELD was not in any way a proper extension of the MCU. And don't even get us started about Inhumans.
Mondo's New TMNT Figures Will Make You Feel Like A Kid--And That's By Design
When Mondo announced its new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, made from soft vinyl, the collection certainly stood out from what other collectible companies are offering up from the franchise. In a market flooded with highly articulated "ultimate"-style figures based on everything from the original comic book to the cult-favorite Coming Out of Their Shells concert tour, Mondo's bigger, chunkier reimaginings of the original action-figure line were certainly a unique take.
How Major Bendies Grew From A Podcast About Toys Into A Wrestling Figure Powerhouse
It would be an understatement to say the collectibles space is crowded. There's a seemingly endless number of companies offering various toys, statues, and other pieces of nostalgia-inducing ephemera for almost any age.
Super7's Ninja Turtles Pizza Party Wagon Is An S-Tier Comic-Con Exclusive
Every year, in the aftermath of San Diego Comic-Con, those who were lucky enough to attend (or snag the item of their choice online) marvel at the exclusive toys, apparel, statues, models, and just about everything else that's released specifically for the convention. The exclusives are aimed at different fandoms and this year, if you ask us, Super7 won SDCC with their lineup of Ninja Turtles figures, themed to a pizzeria conceived by the party dude himself, Michelangelo.
AEW Stars Recast Avengers With Wrestlers
MaXXXine's Blood-Soaked Hollywood Setting Is A Surreal Dream Come True
When X, the first movie in what's become director Ti West's epic horror trilogy, premiered, there was no way to tell how deep we'd sink into this bizarre and terrifying world. Now, with MaXXXine, the third installment due out Friday, star Mia Goth is closing out her starring roles in the films navigating a blood-soaked Hollywood.
Ninja Turtles Co-Creator: Mutant Mayhem Evolving Canon Is "Very Important"
When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hit theaters, it introduced the franchise to a generation of new fans. It introduced the Turtles, their sensei Splinter, and new friend April O'Neil. Oh yeah, and it also brought an army of iconic mutants from the original animated series to the big screen for the first time.
The Last Of Us At Halloween Horror Nights Captures Something The Games And TV Show Can't
It's been a big year for The Last of Us. Not only did the original game finally come to PC in 2023, but we also got the beloved live-action adaptation on HBO. Still, even with The Last of Us occupying a big space in pop culture, Naughty Dog, the studio behind the game series, wasn't finished. There was one last frontier for The Last of Us to conquer: Halloween Horror Nights.
Theme Parks Are Turning Into Real-Life Video Games, And Minion Land At Universal Studios Is The Next Step
With the opening of Minions Land, Universal Studios Orlando has also introduced a brand-new ride experience themed around the Illumination animated franchise. And while that attraction--Villain-Con: Minion Blast--may be primarily appealing to younger visitors and families, it's also a clear indicator of what Universal believes is the future of its theme parks.
Stern's Venom Pinball Machine Is The Next Evolution Of Pinball
Pinball has a history that stretches back to France in the 1600s. Over the centuries, the game has certainly evolved, but at the end of the day, the mechanics and gameplay remain largely the same. You hit metal balls around the playfield, bouncing them off of scoring pins and launching them through chutes, in an attempt to reign supreme with the high score. However, leading pinball machine maker Stern is looking to take the game to a new level with its latest title, Marvel's Venom.
What A "Heartbreaking" Crowdfunding Failure Revealed To Mattel's WWE Team
When it comes to crowdfunding campaigns for toy releases, it's a bit of a gamble. Star Wars and Marvel fans have gotten some truly incredible items, like the massive Marvel Legends Galactus figure. However, these campaigns don't always work. It's a lesson Mattel is learning after facing the first crowdfunding failure on the company's line of WWE toys.
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Review - The Pizza-Crazed Teen Ninjas Pack A Mighty Punch
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise on the big screen has been a mixed bag, at best. The newest entry, the stylized CGI film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, is a brand-new take on the iconic franchise that introduces the turtles to a younger generation of potential superfans. And this time, the cast and creatives of the film got nearly everything right.
Mission Impossible's Pom Klementieff Was Thrilled To Trade In Her MCU Character For A Dark Villain
If you keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you surely know all about Pom Klementieff's portrayal of Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. The alien is silly, has a huge heart, and loves her friends above all else, even if she wants to beat up Drax at any given moment. Now, though, Klementieff is stepping away from the unbridled goodness of Mantis for her villainous turn in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 and couldn't be any more thrilled.
"I just enjoyed it so much… i
"I just enjoyed it so much… i
Tom Cruise Is Mission Impossible's Hero, But Simon Pegg Is The Glue Holding The Series Together
When you sit down in the theaters to watch Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part 1, you know what you're getting, more or less. There will be some kind of impossible mission that requires Tom Cruise to jump off of something, crash something, or otherwise put his own life--and the lives of anyone around him--in immeasurable amounts of danger so he and his team can save the world. Oftentimes, one of those put in danger is none other than his sidekick Benji (Simon Pegg). Benji's more than a sid
Marvel's Secret Invasion Review - The MCU Tries Its Own Andor With Mixed Results
The latest entry in the long-running Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite a departure from the superhero fare you're used to. It's hard to narrow down a Marvel project to just one thing, but chances are it involves superheroes, mind-bending special powers, and a massive roster of returning characters that may or may not mean something in the long run. Secret Invasion isn't that and, truthfully, that's somewhat refreshing.
Disney Cruises Are For More Than Just Kids (And Aren't Child-Filled Hellscapes)
Whether you've been on a cruise or not, chances are you've heard of the Disney Cruise Line. What if Disney World was a boat en route to the Bahamas, complete with all of that "Disney magic" you've come to expect from the company's vacation destinations. That said, if you're like me, you figured these were designed to entertain families (read: children) and didn't think it would amount to much of a vacation for those without kids.
Netflix's Resident Evil Review - Easily The Best Adaptation Of The Zombie Franchise Yet
Outside of Sonic the Hedgehog and his plethora of animated shows, has any video game franchise been adapted into TV and movies more than Resident Evil? It's hard to think of one, what with seven different live-action movies and a handful of animated shows and films. Yet still, our fascination with the world of the games and the horrific Umbrella Corporation responsible for its terrors never sours.
All 38 Marvel Cinematic Universe Superheroes, Ranked - Sorry, Moon Knight
We dug through the entire MCU to figure out the definitive rank of Marvel superheroes on the big (and little) screen.
Lightyear Review - Pixar Goes To Infinity And Beyond In Its Theatrical Return
Since Lightyear was announced, there's been one question on everyone's minds. "Wait, how does this work? I'm confused." In fact, it's confusing enough that Lightyear explains what's going on in the opening seconds of the film. "In 1995, Andy got a toy from his favorite movie. This is that movie." Lightyear is, essentially, the origin story of Buzz Lightyear. Put simply, it's Andy's Star Wars.
Stranger Things 4 Star Robert Englund Actually Auditioned For Season 3 And Didn't Get The Part
When it was announced that Robert Englund, best known for his role as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, would be appearing in Season 4 of Stranger Things, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
Stranger Things' Best Weapon Is Also Its Worst Enemy
When Stranger Things first premiered in 2016, it introduced viewers to a world where small town Indiana was somehow connected to a dark mirror dimension filled with monsters--and for some reason the ones that were destined to navigate it were a ragtag group of friends and a telekinetic girl that was essentially portrayed as a lab experiment gone wrong.
Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick Bootcamp Was Even Scarier Than It Sounds
When you head to the theater to see Top Gun: Maverick this weekend, it should be pretty clear that most of what you're seeing was done practically, rather than with digital effects. The cast was really flying in those jets, going through some pretty intense maneuvers--and they had to train for it.
Chances are by now, you've heard about the boot camp, of sorts, that star Tom Cruise put together for his castmates. Well, according to the cast of the second Top Gun film, it was an even more intense
Chances are by now, you've heard about the boot camp, of sorts, that star Tom Cruise put together for his castmates. Well, according to the cast of the second Top Gun film, it was an even more intense
Jar Jar Binks Is Good And The Obi-Wan Disney+ Show Needs Him
The year is 1999 and seemingly all anyone cares about is Star Wars. After all, it's been over a decade since the original trilogy ended with Return of the Jedi and now a new trilogy--the prequel trilogy--is set to introduce the series to an entirely new generation of future die-hard fans. The first entry in that trilogy, Episode I: The Phantom Menace is going to be the dawn of a new age for Star Wars.
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