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DangerousJ

By DangerousJ
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DangerousJ Level 16

DangerousJ

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For something a little different..

 

A poster named "Thundercracker Blue" on TFW2005.com reminisces about G1 and compares it to today

 

I was 8 when G1 first came out. I was absolutely mesmerized by those figures, and those magical toys are why I'm on this forum 30+ years later. I have never wanted any product like I wanted those toys from 1984 through 1986.



And you know what? Today's Hasbro offerings are FAR superior.

To begin with, today's standard of articulation makes those G1 figures look embarrassing. Consider the Decepticon jets: these were THE figures that made me fall in love with Transformers in the first place. Now gaze upon them in all their parts-forming, cone-o-cephalus, sticker-visor'd horror. Brick? More like robo-rigor mortis. Those figures were around $15 in 1984, the equivalent of about $36 dollors today. These days, I won't buy my 5 1/2 year old boy Cyberverse because they don't have knees. No knees is an absolute deal-breaker. Meanwhile, my single most-wished-for-yet-unfulfilled-childhood-dream toy - Thundercracker - had ... shoulders. That's it. Shoulders. Nothing else. Just ... shoulders.

I hear a lot of people mention the grandeur of G1 diecast. Sure, diecast conferred a bit of heft, but we didn't give a shit, because heft doesn't matter when your figure breaks apart into hefty little pieces. Fully intact TFs were rare. Headless Soundwaves and Buzzsaws abounded on playgrounds. Backpacks held Trapper-Keepers and Prowls missing a windshield. And let's not forget the thalidomide baby of the bunch, Mirage, who was prone to spontaneous bisection when his 0.05 mm center peg sheared clean in half during routine transformation. Kind of a bummer when that happens to your $10 ($25 in 2018!) birthday present.

And you better be wearing your Bugle Boy cargo pants, because there was no 'weapon storage in alt mode', and all those chrome rifles and seeker fists and landing gears had to go in your goddamn pockets. How many kids still had the horizontal tail fins for their Seekers come New Years Day? I actually knew a kid who threw away the horizontal tail fins of his Skywarp the day he opened it, because he was "just gonna lose 'em anyway". Sorry you lost the left fist of your Starscream! What, did it fall out from where you wedged it between his feet in jet mode? Sorry, kid, Shapeways won't exist for another 25 years! Better come up with a story about how Screamer lost his hand trying to overthrow Megatron!

And all those photos of Toys R Us aisles stacked high with Transformers are pretty stunning, especially when compared to the depressing shithole that is Walmart. I know, I know - those photos elicit powerful nostalgia in me, too. But the reason the shelves were packed and stacked was because that was the ONLY place to get Transformers. Sure, there were a smattering at department stores or Sears, etc, but that was it. You had no other options. Toy hunting was a requirement, one that many parents weren't too keen on undertaking during hectic, multi-store errand trips in the pre-Target/Walmart days.

And if you missed out on a figure? LOL, sorry sucker! I know its your birthday, kiddo, but see they stopped shipping Thundercracker. You missed him. He's gone forever. But don't worry! The aisles are packed with his shitty replacement, Dirge. Sure he looks stupid, but at least he doesn't have tail fins to lose! Happy Birthday!

Today's Hasbro figures are infinitely better articulated. For all the cries about hollow-ness, their design and ball-joints mean they are MUCH less prone to breakage than G1 figures. They almost all can store their weapons in alt mode, and they don't treat vital parts of their anatomy (fists) as accessories that can be lost by a child. They are almost all readily available from retailers whose virtual stores are open 24/7 and will ship to your doorstep.

And if you want a figure from a few years ago, you don't have to search for a broken, incomplete, soiled one at a creepy rummage sale. If your daughter wants Animated Blackarachnia for Christmas in 2017, you can open up the eBay app while lying in bed at 1 AM in mid-December, find a decent deal, and get it for her. And right before you hit 'confirm', you'll pause, and you'll think about how when you were a kid you missed out on Thundercracker, and there was nothing you could do about it.

This is the Golden Age I never saw coming. This is the second chance I never thought I'd get.

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DangerousJ Level 16

DangerousJ

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http://www.superherohype.com/news/419825-1986s-transformers-the-movie-coming-to-theaters-in-september#/slide/1

 

Transformers The Movie (1986)  will have a special one day/one time showing in the USA on September 27! at 7:00 pm

 

Quote

This special event is a collaboration between Fathom Events, Hasbro Studios and Shout! Factory, and it will also provide moviegoers with a sneak peek behind the making of the Bumblebee feature film, and a brand-new interview with singer-songwriter Stan Bush including recent performances of the theme songs “The Touch” and “Dare.” Moviegoers will be able to enjoy the film in approximately 500 select U.S. movie theatres


 

 

Edited by DangerousJ
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DangerousJ Level 16

DangerousJ

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https://movieweb.com/transformers-the-movie-rerelease-750-screens/

 

TFTM will pay on 300 MORE screens on Sept 27 due to fan demand. 

 

I originally bought tickets for a cinema that is 15 miles away from me since my local cinema didnt have it.

However, it is now showing at my local cinema so check your area through Fandango to see if it is playing closer to your neighborhood!

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DangerousJ Level 16

DangerousJ

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Composer Robert J. Walsh has passed away at the age of 70.

He was one of the 2 composers on the G1 Transformers show along with Johnny Douglas (who passed away in 2004).

Most of the Season 3 rock/synthesizer tracks inspired by the movie were by him.

He also composed soundtracks for many other movies and TV shows such as G.I.JOE , Jem , Defenders of the Earth, Inhumanoids, Fraggle Rock, and Muppet Babies.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxmOSvn8fsE&t=81s

 

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