Happy Easter: Don't Eat The Gum Basket

Written by Stu Cooper

I wanted to take the time to wish you all a Happy 4/20 and a Happy Easter! Earlier this year I received a special Easter basket from a company called "Don't Eat The Gum". This company specializes in a very unique kind of gift basket. The gift baskets are made up of a mix of vintage/current nerdy items. These things usually consist of trading cards and various nerd accessories. The focus of the basket usually revolves around trading cards from the 70's and 80's that included bubble gum. Thus the name "Don't Eat the Gum". If you are a fan of the 70's, 80's, and 90's, then there is something in these sets for you.

If you are a fan of nerd culture as much as I am, you will absolutely love these sets. There is nothing like it. I'm actually surprised local comic book stores haven't thought of this idea already. Also the pricing is very fair considering how much it costs to put together and ship. Here is a picture of another one I got as well, just so you can see the different types:

For more information on "Don't Eat the Gum" please visit:

Don't Eat The Gum on Facebook

The Warrior's Fate: Ultimate Warrior Tribute

Written by Stu Cooper

Earlier this morning I turned my phone on and was met with several texts regarding the death of The Ultimate Warrior. At first I thought it was a joke considering I just spent the past couple days attending Wrestlemania 30 in New Orleans, where The Warrior just was. After doing a quick google search I was met with an unfortunate and unexpected reality, Jim Hellwig had passed away at age 54.

I was just telling all of my friends and family what an amazing experience I had in New Orleans attending the show. One of the highlights was the appearance of The Ultimate Warrior. He was actually the only Hall of Fame inductee this year to be given his own entrance! Of course I hoped he would show up with the paint and run the ropes, but alas he just kind of waved to the fans and teared up while acting as professional as possible. It was not until the next night on RAW that we were greeted with an appearance from the Warrior we all know and love. The following night on Raw, also in New Orleans, Warrior showed up and put on his mask where he began to deliver a heartwarming speech to the fans. Little did we know this speech would serve as his own eulogy. If you listen to what he says in the promo, it is actually quite cryptic. It is as if he knew it was his time. He did not appear to be in bad health, which is another reason why I am shocked. I'm curious to see what details, if any, come out in the near future. If you want to look back on his career WWE actually released a DVD set on April 1st that seems to be quite comprehensive.

One reason why the passing of The Ultimate Warrior has struck me so hard is because one of my first memories of professional wrestling was a WWF Superstars segment in which Papa Shango, a voodoo priest wrestler, put a curse on The Ultimate Warrior, causing him to bleed ink and puke! It was a very bizarre moment but I was hooked from that moment on. Growing up in the 80's or early 90's it was also common to be either a Hulk Hogan guy, or a Ultimate Warrior guy. I was always a Ultimate Warrior guy. Warrior may have had some bizarre personality traits and some awkward political views, but he will always be remembered as the intense, gorilla press slamming, clothesline wielding, screaming maniac that every 80's WWF fan fell in love with. Warrior may have passed but he left behind an endless amount of wrestling matches and insane interviews for generations and generations to enjoy. Jim Hellwig left behind 2 daughters and a wife whom he loved very much. Dave Meltzer from the wrestling observer said that after the Hall of Fame ceremonies on Saturday most of the guys went out to celebrate, but Warrior could not wait to get back to his daughters. If anything this whole experience has served as a reminder to love and honor the people in your life you cherish. Warrior also set a good example by squashing a lot of his past problems with others in the wrestling business, and I can't help but wonder if that is directly correlated to his unfortunate passing. Life is too fragile and short to hang onto grudges. Just try to make the best of the time you have, just like the Warrior did. As tribute maybe next time you are at the gym you can cue up the Ultimate Warrior's theme music and channel all your negative energy into your workout and by the time you're done you may feel a little bit of that warrior power.

Warrior always seemed to have pure intentions in most of his daily life. He always seemed incredibly motivated and I'm sure that translated to him being a loving husband, and a good father. Warrior was able to capture the hearts and the imagination of millions of men,women,children and wrestling fans alike. We will probably never see another man like The Warrior. I'm glad that he was able to make peace with all of those in the wrestling business before his passing. I can't help but find the timing incredibly unsettling and bizarre. It could be a sign of some kind of fate, some kind of destiny? Who knows...All I can say is that he left an incredibly unique impression on me that I will carry in my brain for the rest of my life. There is no matching THE POWER...OF THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR!

Film Enigma is now officially on Facebook!

Written by Stu Cooper

I figured it was time to get with the times and create an official facebook page for FILM ENIGMA. I will be posting extra content on the page such as discussion topics, pictures, and videos. I will also use the page as a community and place for fellow cinemaphiles to converse. I actually encourage those who love film, television, comics, pop culture, etc. to head on over to the page and contribute! The more conversation, the better. I will also use the page to post all of the new updates to the blog, so you can keep up with Film Enigma in your daily feed. Please Like, Share, Comment, and Enjoy!

Monster Mania Day 27: The Addams Family Presents Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt

Written By Stu Cooper

This will be a quick review because there isn't a whole lot to say about this game, but I just got it in and had to give it a go, especially considering the time of year. Now when I was younger I remember renting one of the "Addams Family" games and having a pretty hard time with it, and from that point on I never really tried any of the other games. I'm not sure which game that was, but it wasn't this one because I had a blast playing this. In "Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt" you play the cartoon version of Pugsley who accepts a scavenger hunt challenge from his sister Wednesday. You play as Pugsley for the entire game and I'm alright with that. You get into all sorts of mischief and you can actually choose which levels you want to play by entering certain doors in the Addams Family house. The controls are pretty crisp and easy to get the hang of, tho attacking can be defeat at times and you have to be quick. The real highlight would be the music. It has the Addams Family theme at the beginning but the soundtrack throughout the game is pretty catchy and fun. It's just overall a fun little side scroller. If you're looking to play something with a Halloween feel and looking to interact with the Addams Family, this game is a good bet. Be sure not to confuse it with "Fester's Quest".

Monster Mania Day 26: The Faculty

Written by Stu Cooper

In the peak of the 90's slasher wave we got to see a film that was quite unique for the time period. The film was called "The Faculty" and was directed by Robert Rodriguez in one of his first big film breaks. The film was released in 1998 on the heels of the SCREAM franchise success as well as "I Know What You Did Last Summer". The 90's horror trend was in full effect, evident by the generic layered faces poster that "The Faculty" got. One thing I really hated about that era of horror films, all the posters were just layered images of the cast, no redeemable artwork whatsoever!

The film starred a couple familiar faces like Josh Hartnett (on the heels of Halloween H20), Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Robert Patrick, Daniel Von Bargen, Usher, and more. It's a great cast and they all really come together. The plot is basically lifted straight from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". The teachers at the school get taken over by aliens and begin using their authority as teachers to manipulate the students and eventually turn them into aliens as well. Robert Patrick takes the role of the leader. He plays the football coach, who instantly converts the whole football team to aliens. This makes for some really creepy imagery that has to be seen. Also the track "Another Brick In The Wall" plays in and out through the movie. It's a great fitting song for the tone of the film. There is a core group of students who is essentially avoiding the aliens. The main members of the group that the film focuses on are Josh Hartnett and Elijah Wood. Hartnett plays the burnout who got held back and now sells drugs out of his car. It's a great character and the homemade drug he creates actually plays a huge part in the movie. You gotta love when the burnout gets credit. Elijah Wood plays your typical virgin high schooler with social anxiety. Together they fend off the aliens and meet some pretty hot women a long the way, but I don't want to spoil much else. It's a fun film if you're into alien invasion films. It's not the most realistic movie and is definitely cheesy, but that is part of it's charm. Also you get to see a small role played by Jon Stewart and it leaves you wishing he had more film roles!

Monster Mania Day 25: Curse of Chucky

Written by Stu Cooper

If you ask any member of my family what haunted me most as a child, they will immediately be able to tell you the answer...Chucky. When I was around 5-6 years old I was exposed to the film Child's Play 2 via TV marathon. I had no idea what it was, I just saw a doll that walked around making a lot of morbid expressions. I remember the exact moment I couldn't turn away, when Andy goes into the basement looking for Chucky and his dad comes down to investigate, and Chucky kills his dad. This was a very scary thought for a young kid. You always think of kids being in the safe zone in horror, and that the grown ups would protect the child, but this film totally flipped that. I guess that's why it scared me so much. It broke the rules I had set in my imagination. I started wondering if my toys were wandering around my room when I wasn't around, plotting my death. I eventually got over it when I realized Chucky actually had quite the sense of humor. I began not taking him as serious. With that said, when I watched "Curse of Chucky" I was surprised to find a very dark gothic version of Chucky I hadn't seen before. One that would bring back a lot of the original creepy elements of the Chucky character.

"The Curse of Chucky" is a sequel to the original Child's Play films, seemingly somewhere in between part 3 and Bride of Chucky. The story revolves around a young wheel-chair bound girl named Nica, played by Brad Dourif's daughter Fiona Dourif. She lives with her pilled out alcoholic mother who has some kind of connection to Chucky when he was human, which is elaborated on throughout the film. After her mother is no longer around she is in this giant gothic style mansion by herself, so her family comes to visit. Her sister, her sister's husband, their little girl, and the family au pair all join her at the mansion. Chucky was delivered prior to this and he begins to slowly creep up on the family. This film takes a slow burn approach as opposed to the other sequels. You don't see the "real" Chucky until about 40 minutes in. When he finally does show his dark side, it's a storm front of evil. He actually even has make up applied to his face to make him look more innocent, which was a great touch. There is a lot of subtle dark moments to this film, it makes it a very effective horror film and not just a jokey satire which is what "Seed of Chucky" basically was. Chucky's humor is still there, but it is toned down a lot. The kills are also more realistic and less about extreme violence or puns, which is a nice take. For a straight to dvd film, it really couldn't get any scarier. It sets a great dark tone and follows through until the end. I was also very impressed with how Fiona Dourif's character was handled. She was absolutely beautiful and she could actually act, so I was impressed. I thought maybe we'd just see a case of horror nepotism, but nope! Also stay after the credits for a chance to see what that little kid Andy is up to these days!

Monster Mania Day 24: NBC's Dracula Premiere

Written by Stu Cooper

One week ago NBC debuted their new take on the DRACULA mythos in the form of an episodic drama. This is following FOX debuting their new "Sleepy Hollow" show earlier this month. I'm a huge fan of the Universal horror franchises and Dracula has always been a favorite of mine. I'm very partial to Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee portraying Dracula who would be impossible to top. I tried to approach this series with an open mind and what I found was a mildly enjoyable vampire show with potential. Let's dive right into it.

Dracula is played by Johnathan Rhys Meyers of "The Tudors" fame and he brings a unique presence to the character that doesn't exactly scream classic monster. He plays a metrosexual industrialist version of Dracula, which is hard to wrap your brain around at first. This incarnation of Dracula is revived at the beginning of the series by Van Helsing (for reasons you will discover later) and goes on to become an industrial/electrical engineer in the United States. He develops technology that is almost identical to Tesla's work. Dracula plans to market this and have his way with the economy I suppose. It's an interesting take on Dracula's journey. Dracula has his assistant Renfield, and the two work together to manipulate the people around them. The focus of Dracula's efforts seems to be on a protagonist by the name of Johnathan Harker. Harker is about as cookie cutter and boring as it gets. I really just wanted to see this guy die in the first episode, but sadly it looks like he will take the hero role at some point. Van Helsing is actually somewhat of a villain and the morality of Dracula seems to be up in the air. So the show takes the roles we are used to and basically flips them. It's a good way to make the Dracula premise fresh but i'm curious to see how it goes over time. The villains in the series seem to be a cult like group called The Order who hunts down Dracula and his associates. I'm not sure why they are the bad guys, other than the fact that they kill people occasionally. I was actually rooting for them when they attack Dracula at one point.

Overall the show has a nice pace and provided enough classic Dracula moments mixed in with new Dracula moments to keep me entertained. I am not a fan of the actor who plays Dracula. I'm a bit burnt out on the sexy vampire stuff after Twilight and True Blood. I'd rather see a guy who was creepy and had a menacing screen presence. This guy just looks like a model with fangs and that is not Dracula worthy. The storyline elements seem interesting tho and I am going to keep watching to see where it goes. I'd love it if they involved other Universal Monsters at some point.