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Welcome to
Hollywood Die-Cast. Within this website you will find the most
definitive gallery of die-cast toys based on cars and vehicles from TV and
movies. The focus of this website is
1:64 scale, though there are some exceptions. My
collection is NOT for sale. The site is meant to be purely informational for
collectors like myself.
  
Davy Jones signing the Monkeemobile in January 2010
2/29/12 - R.I.P. Davy
Jones: 1945 - 2012
My heart sunk when I heard the
news today that Davy Jones passed away today at the age of 66.
Although I was just a newborn when The Monkees originally aired on
TV, I grew up watching the show in reruns. And who can forget Davy's
memorable appearance on The Brady Bunch as Marcia's prom date?
I saw Davy perform twice in person, once on August 5, 1986 during the 20th
Anniversary World Tour, and a second time when he performed solo as part of
the Teen Idols tour. I was pretty excited when the Monkeemobile
arrived here in Michigan, but I was disappointed when I missed a chance to
see Davy autograph the car in 2010 (above.) I was stunned and saddened
to learn of his death, but we will always have his music and TV episodes to
remember him by. My condolences go out to his friends and family.
He will be missed.
    
2/29/12
- Hollywood - Pt. 3
Where would Hollywood be without
sequels? Pictured above are the cars that will make up the third wave
of GreenLight's Hollywood series. From left we have the '68 Ford
Mustang and '68 Dodge Charger R/T from the 1968 film Bullitt.
GreenLight has already released them in dioramas, but now you can have them
individually packaged. Next, we have Dom's 1970 Charger from The
Fast and The Furious, followed by the 1959 Corvette from Animal House,
this time with its top down. And finally, a gold 1970 Corvette from
Apollo 13 rounds out this wave. Looks for Series 3 to hit stores
within the next few weeks. Two new dioramas will be hitting store
shelves, as well. Pictured below, left, are the Bluesmobile and
Illinois State Police car from The Blues Brothers. Below right
are two cars from the TV series NCIS. Thanks to "Fresno Bob"
for providing the pics you see.
 
 2/28/12
- Zoiks, Scoob!
A low-res image of the 2012 Hot Wheels
poster has surfaced online. Quickly scanning it for Hollywood cars, I
made an interesting discovery. Apparently, the Mystery Machine from
Scooby Doo will appear in the 2012 New Models line! Very cool!
 2/2712
- The Envelope Please!
The votes have been cast. The
public has spoken. It's time to announce the winners of the 2012
Bandit Awards! There were a couple of blow-outs, and there were a few
very tight races. And for the first time, I decided NOT to have a TV
car category because I felt there weren't enough worthy candidates.
We've come a long way since the days of Knight Rider, The A-Team, The
Dukes of Hazzard and Magnum P.I. I sure hope we see a few
cool cars on television in 2012. Now, on to the results. The
envelopes please...
|
The Bandit Award for Best Car Movie of 2011 goes
to... |
 |
Fast Five - With the exception of
Tokyo Drift, the Fast & Furious movies seem to get more and
more popular with the movie-going audience. Dwayne
Johnson joined the cast of actors from all four previous films to make
the fifth entry the highest grossing installment of the franchise. With
30% of the vote, Fast Five was named Best Movie of 2011.
Cars 2 did surprisingly well, coming in second with 22% of the vote.
|
|
The Bandit Award for Best Actor goes to... |
 |
Vin Diesel - After stepping away from the
franchise for two movies (sort of) Vin Diesel has come to embrace his
role in the Fast & Furious franchise (lucky for us.) He's a
big part of the reason these movies do as well as they do. As
usual, he was terrific in Fast Five and his fight with Dwayne
Johnson was a great movie moment. Voters named Vin Diesel the Best
Actor of 2011 with 22% of the vote. Jay Chou came in second with
18%. |
|
The Bandit Award for Best Movie Car in 2011 goes
to... |
 |
The Black Beauty - Ah, car lovers appreciate
the classics, and there was no car more classic and iconic than The
Black Beauty in The Green Hornet. Although the movie was
largely forgettable, it was a thrill to see The Black Beauty deploy its
arsenal of weaponry on the big screen. In a landslide, voters
named The Black Beauty the Best Movie Car of 2011 with 36% of the vote.
|
|
The Bandit Award for Best Car Chase in 2011 goes
to... |
 |
Fast Five - The sixth-highest grossing
movie of 2011 continues its domination of the Bandit Awards by giving us
the Best Car Chase of 2011, as determined by a whopping 40% of the vote.
Instead of a high speed adrenaline rush, Fast Five opted for
utter mayhem and destruction as two modern Dodge Chargers drag a bank
vault down the streets of Rio! |
|
The Bandit Award for Best Die-Cast Line in 2011
goes to... |
 |
GreenLight - Hollywood - In the closest race
of the awards, GreenLight's Hollywood line edged out Mattel's Hot Wheels
2011 New Models line by one measly vote! The Hollywood line
premiered in 2011 and gave us two series of popular and obscure cars.
The Hot Wheels New Models line gave us the Back to the Future
Time Machine and The A-Team van. It was close, but
GreenLight came away with 26% of the vote, versus 25% for the Hot Wheels
line to be named the best die-cast line of 2011. Wow. |
|
And the Bandit Award for Single Best Die-Cast Car
in 2011 goes to... |
 |
Hot Wheels Ecto-1 - And finally, voters named
Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters the single best die-cast car of 2011.
This is the version that was offered through the Hot Wheels Collectors
website early in 2011, and arrived in mailboxes right around
Christmastime. With its retro-style packaging, detailed paint
scheme, and Redline wheels, this was a thing of beauty. With 26%
of the vote, it barely eked out a win over The A-Team Van (23%) |
Thanks to all of you who voted in the 2012 Bandit Awards!
   
2/24/12 - 2012 Detroit
Autorama
I spent some time at the Detroit
Autorama today and had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Dean Jeffries
for the first time. Jeffries brought along with him the award-winning
Manta Ray (pictured above,) but he is also the man who created the
Monkeemobile and The Black Beauty, among other cars. We talked for a
good fifteen minutes about his career and the origins of his most famous
creations. Our conversation was recorded and I'll post the video in a
few days. He also signed a Johnny Lightning Monkeemobile for me.
His signature is the latest addition to my "Auto-Graph"
collection (above, right.) The Autorama continues through the weekend.
2/20/12
- Just Monkee-ing Around
While out and about today, I stopped
into one of the last hobby stores in my area that sells die-cast cars and
was surprised to find their shelves stocked with new die-cast goodness.
One of the things that caught my eye was the newly-released 1:18 scale
Monkeemobile by AutoWorld. This one is based on Monkeemobile #2 (which
resides here in Michigan) as you can see by the door graphics.
Unfortunately, it's slightly inaccurate. The interior and roof on the
actual car are more beige in color instead of white, but hey, I'm
nitpicking. At $65 I wasn't able to buy it today, but I'll eventually
add it to my collection. The store had also opened up a brand new case
of 1:18 scale Ecto-1s from Ghostbusters, but again, at $100 a pop, I
had to pass for now.
    
 2/20/12
- The Dark Knight Returns!
I had the day off today so I decided to
drive around from store to store looking for new things. I didn't find
much, but I did find this awesome Hot Wheels 5-Pack from The Dark Knight
at K-Mart. What really makes this set stand out is the special
Joker edition of Bone Shaker (above, second from left.) If you look
closely, you'll see the chrome skull has been replaced by the Joker's
smiling mug. The set also includes the Batcopter, Batmobile, Ford
Fusion Patrol Car and Armored Truck. I'm sure we can expect more
Bat-Stuff in stores with The Dark Knight Rises slated to hit theaters
on July 20, 2012.
  
 2/11/12
- Holy 4-Pack, Batman!
My thanks goes out to "Skinnybird"
Steve, who e-mailed me with a tip a couple of weeks ago. He told me
that if I visited
www.walmart.com, I could buy the elusive DC Comics boxed set for $10 and
have it shipped to a nearby Walmart for NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE! So I did
just that and I picked it up today. Unfortunately, it looks like it's
sold out online. It's a great-looking set and will stay in its
packaging. The only thing that has me scratching my head is why Mattel
would go with a pickup truck to represent Batman. I would think a
pickup truck would be the LAST thing Bruce Wayne would be seen in driving
around Gotham City!
   
2/10/12
- Cool New Find!
I stopped into a Toys R Us today and
found a cool little item hanging on a peg. Apparently, Mattel has
produced a nicely detailed 1:64 scale replica of the 1955 Lincoln Futura
concept car as part of its Hot Wheels Boulevard line. (Johnny
Lightning released the Futura way back in 2003.) As you may or may not
know, the one-of-a-kind Lincoln Futura is the car George Barris used to
create the Batmobile for the 1966 TV series and movie. I thought you
Batmobile fans may want to add this one to your collection. I know I
did!
   
2/7/12
- A New 1:18 Scale Era?
For those of you who collect 1:18 scale
Hollywood cars, 2008 was the end of an era. After producing some
awesome cars over the course of several years, RC2 ended its 1:18 scale
entertainment line in 2008, with the Authentics version of the General Lee
being the last to hit stores in early 2008. Mattel's 1:18 scale '66
Batmobile also arrived in stores in early 2008. Since then, there
really hasn't been a lot to report on in the world of 1:18 scale. But
that all seems to be changing. Mattel is ushering in a new era of
amazing 1:18 scale cars. Over the past few months, collectors have
been able to add some iconic cars to their collection. Mattel has
released The A-Team van in 1:18 scale for the first time EVER.
And those who have Ecto-1 in their hands say it's a vast improvement over
the version that RC2 released in 2004. (Ecto-1A from Ghostbusters 2
is also in the works.) A prototype of K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider was
unveiled recently, and rumor has it a Back to the Future Time Machine
will hit stores soon.
In addition to all this
goodness from Mattel, I'm told by Gregg Lacarte of Canada, that a new,
incredibly detailed version of General Lee will be released soon by a
company called Auto World (using RC2's Authentics casting) and will use the
same casting to create the '69 Charger from the 1974 movie Dirty Mary,
Crazy Larry. It's slated to be released in late 2012 or early
2013.
The only downside to all of
this is the price. Mattel's Elite version of these vehicles retail
well over $100 and I'm sure Auto World will follow suit. But if you're
willing to pay the price, 2012 is shaping up to be a great year for
collectors to build up their 1:18 scale collection.
My thanks goes out to Gregg
Lacarte for providing the info and the photos you see above. Click
HERE to see my collection of 1:18
scale Hollywood cars. I'm hoping to add The A-Team van in the
very near future.
  
2/6/12 -
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Thanks to a tip from a fellow collector,
I discovered that BMW has released a 1:64 scale die-cast version of their
futuristic Vision Efficient Dynamics concept vehicle i8. This car is
an amazing work of art. The car was featured in the fourth installment
of the Mission Impossible franchise: Ghost Protocol
(pictured above, right.) I snagged mine on eBay.
 
2/4/12
- Holy Boneshaker, Batman!
This just in! Keep an eye out for
a new Hot Wheels Batman 5-pack. What makes this particular set special
is the unique Boneshaker casting, pictured above, right. The skull
grill has been replaced by the Joker's smiling mug. That is pretty
awesome! I hit three different Toys R Us stores with no luck.
But since these are so new, I don't expect them in my area for another week
or two. If you find one, let me know where you found it.
2/4/12
- The 2012 Bandit Awards!
Voting for the 2012 Bandit Awards
continues. Okay, here's the final poll of the 2012 Bandit Awards.
I've chosen what I feel are the top ten best individual 1:64 scale die-cast
cars released in 2011.
Mattel gave us some pretty iconic cars in its 2011 New Models line last
year. Johnny Lightning snuck in some pretty cool "unofficial" cars in
its Forever 64 and 2.0 lines. And although GreenLight gave us two
great waves of Hollywood cars, the only one that really sticks out in my
mind is the Bluesmobile from The Blues Brothers. So, take a
look at the list and help determine which of the following was the BEST of
2011. The results of all the polls will be announced right here on
Sunday, February 26th (coincidentally, on Oscar Night!)
2/3/12
- The 2012 Bandit Awards!
Voting for the 2012 Bandit Awards
continues. For the first time since starting the Bandit Awards,
Mattel's 1:50 scale Batman line will NOT win fan voting. Why?
Because there wasn't ONE release in 2011. That leaves the field wide
open. I've listed 8 die-cast car lines below. Which one was the
best of 2011? YOU decide...
2/2/12
- The 2012 Bandit Awards!
Voting for the 2012 Bandit Awards
continues. This just might be the toughest category to judge this
year. There were SO many monumental car chase scenes in 2011:
The goosebump-inducing slo-mo moment when Shia Lebeouf is airborne
momentarily until Bumblebee pulls him back into the passenger seat; the
thrilling destruction caused by a bank vault being dragged down the streets
of Rio; the nail-biting sequence when our hero in Drive uses a police
scanner to evade the helicopters; the James Bond-like moments found in
Cars 2 and Captain America; and of course seeing the Black Beauty
in all its glory. Even Drive Angry 3D featured some kick-ass
car chases. I picked the top seven car chase moments of 2011.
You decide which one is the best.
Cast your vote for the Best
Car (or motorcycle) Chase of 2011...
2/1/12
- The 2012 Bandit Awards!
Voting for the 2012 Bandit Awards
continues. Now it's time to pick the best MOVIE car of 2011. In
years past, I've broken up movie cars into stock and custom categories, but
this year I'm just going to lump them all in together. My picks for
the top ten cars of the year are
listed below. If you need a reminder of what the car looks like, visit
www.imcdb.org.
Cast your vote for the Best
Movie Car of 2011...
1/31/12
- The 2012 Bandit Awards!
Voting for the 2012 Bandit Awards
continues. You can't have a cool movie car without a cool guy sitting
behind the wheel.
Cast your vote for the Best
Actor of 2011...
1/31/12
- The 2012 Bandit Awards!
The Oscar nominees have been announced,
so it's time to come up with nominees for the 2012 Bandit Awards,
named after the Patron Saint of Car Chase movies: Burt Reynolds. Every
year, the visitors of this website determine Best Movie, Best Actor, Best
Car Chase, Best Movie Car, Best TV Car, Best Die-Cast Line, and Best
Individual Die-Cast Car. I'm going to do things a little differently
this year. I'm going to post a new poll every day this week.
Let's start off with the nominees for Best Car Movie of 2011.
(Although Captain America was my favorite movie of the year, I just
can't call it a "car movie" so I left it off the list.) So, let's get
the voting started. What is your choice for Best Car Movie of 2011?
 
1/25/12
- JL is at it again!
I saw a post on Facebook from Johnny
Lightning announcing its JL 2.0 Release 13 wave (above, left.) One
particular casting caught my eye. Look at the '69 Dodge Daytona
pictured in the bottom, left corner of the image above. Does it look
familiar? It sure looks like the Dodge Daytona from the 2001 movie
Joe Dirt (above, right.) This one is going to be VERY popular with
collectors. I've gotten plenty of e-mails in the past regarding this
particular car and I know it was on a lot of wish lists. This is great
news for Hollywood car collectors!
     
1/25/12
- Super, Man!
I haven't had much luck finding Mattel's
line of DC Comics cars that are part of the Hot Wheels Nostalgia line.
While shopping at a Meijer store, I thought I found some, only to realize
these are different. The cardbacks are different, the castings are
different, and there are only three of them (so far): Superman, Joker
and Green Lantern. My favorite is the Joker car. Check out that
grill. Have you ever seen a more appropriate grill to represent the
Joker's sinister smile? Although these are a cool find, the hunt
continues for the Nostalgia DC Comics cars in my area.
  
1/22/12
- Barrett-Jackson 2012
Barrett-Jackson's 2012 auction in
Scottsdale, AZ took place over the weekend (Jan.20-22). For me, the
highlight of the weekend was seeing the very first General Lee (named Lee1)
go up for auction. This is the car that can be seen jumping (82 feet)
over Rosco's police cruiser in the opening credits of every episode of
The Dukes of Hazzard. As the story goes, when the car landed
(above, right) it was totaled and never used again. It sat in a
junkyard for 23 years before it was rescued and restored (above, left.)
It even has its original windshield, which was cracked in the jump.
Shockingly, when the hammer fell, the car sold for only $120,000, which is a
STEAL. Apparently, golfer Bubba Watson came away with the car.
 The
only other significant Hollywood car that went up on the auction block was
this beautiful replica of The Monkeemobile. It sold for a shockingly
low price of $40,000. It's a bargain considering one of the original
Monkeemobiles sold for $360,000 in 2008. That car currently resides in
Southeastern Michigan.
   
1/9/12
- Holy Moly!
This has to be one of my all-time
favorite offerings from Mattel's Cars line. As part of the
Deluxe Cars 2 line, Mattel has produced Pope Pinion IV, along with
his Popemobile, which I think is awesome! Maybe I'm partial to this
one because I actually DID see Pope John Paul II as he drove past me in his
Popemobile in 1987! Check out the photo at right.
 1/9/12
- Who ya gonna call?
Kevin Clark got his hands on the new
1:18 & 1:43 scale Hot Wheels Ecto-1 and sent me the pic at left comparing
several different versions of the famous ride from Ghostbusters.
Starting at the bottom left and going clockwise we have the 1:50 scale
Hallmark ornament, the 1:25 Polar Lights model, 1:18 scale Hot Wheels
Ecto-1, 1:21 Joy Ride Ecto-1 and, finally, the 1:43 scale version from Hot
Wheels. Thanks for the pic, Kevin.
12/31/11
- 2011: The Year in Review
As 2011 comes to an end, it's time to
take a look back at all the Hollywood car-happenings that took place
throughout the year. As we already discussed (below) it was a great
year for car movies, with Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Fast Five
and Drive enjoying varying levels of commercial and/or critical
success. In toy stores, Johnny Lightning continued releasing
"unofficial" star cars, GreenLight gave us dioramas and TWO new Hollywood
series, Mattel's Cars line disappeared from shelves to make room for
Cars 2 product, and Mattel continued to give us entertainment-related
cars in its Hot Wheels main line. All this and much, much more as we
take a stroll down memory lane and look back at the the year 2011.
CLICK HERE
 12/29/11
- KITT Confirmed for 2012
Photos of KITT from Knight Rider
have surfaced on a website called
www.t-hunted.com, confirming that it will be included as part of Mattel's
Hot Wheels main line in 2012. It was rumored to have been included in
2011, but was replaced by the van from The A-Team.
Unfortunately, the wheels aren't very accurate. For accurate wheels
you'll have to pick up Johnny Lightning's 1984 Pontiac Firebird.
2011 Hallmark Ornament - 1966 Batmobile
12/24/11 - Merry Christmas from Hollywood Die-Cast!
Before I head off to spend the holiday
with family, I just want to wish everyone who visits this website Happy
Holidays and Merry Christmas! May your stocking runneth over with toy
cars and goodies! As the new year approaches, we'll take a look back
at all that's happened in the world of Hollywood cars and toys in 2011.
   
12/22/11
- An Homage to Director John Lasseter
I know I've neglected my duties in
reporting new Cars 2 news, but frankly, there hasn't been much to
report. Mattel really hasn't bombarded the toy aisles with new product
since the release of the first few waves, unlike the FIRST movie, when it
seemed like new releases hit stores almost every month. Since the
initial frenzy back in May, the only new characters to hit stores were found
in gift sets and multi-packs, which was a little frustrating. Not many
parents want to buy a gift set that includes many characters they've already
bought, only to get one new character. However, stopping into a K-Mart
store near work, I found something I just couldn't pass up. Pictured
above, left, is a two-pack I've never seen before. The two-pack
includes Jeff Gorvette and John Lassetire. That's right. Mattel
has FINALLY paid tribute to the director of the Cars movies, John
Lasseter, with his own character. Very cool. I also picked up
the Francesco Bernoulli two-pack, which includes his crew chief decked out
in Italy's red, green and white colors, since K-Mart was holding a Buy
One, Get the Second Half Off sale.
 
12/19/11
- A Very Hot Wheels Christmas
Waaaaay back in April Mattel solicited
orders from Red Line Club Members for a retro version of Ecto-1 from
Ghostbusters. Well, today I got an early Christmas present in the
mail. Complete with "chrome-plated chassis, newly formulated
Spectraflame color and Neo-Classics wheels" this thing is jaw-dropping.
It'll go nicely with the RLC retro Batmobile that shipped in October of 2008
(below.)
 
12/17/11
- Top Grossing Car Movies of 2011
Well, as 2011 winds down it's time to
start looking back at the year that was. 2011 was a pretty great year
for car movies. Which ones came out on top at the box office and which
ones sputtered? Let's take a look at the domestic grosses for car
movies that came out during the year:
|
2. |
$352 million |
 |
Released in July, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
was the second-highest grossing film of 2011, behind the final Harry
Potter film. In my opinion, (and most seem to agree) it was
the best entry in the Transformers series. Surprisingly, it
ranks second in the series, behind Revenge of the Fallen, which
topped $400 million in 2009. |
|
6. |
$209 million |
 |
Fast Five opened HUGE in April with an $86
million weekend, thanks, in part, to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson joining
the cast. And like the movie mentioned above, most agree it was
the best in the franchise so far. It went on to gross over $200
million to become the highest earner, passing 2009's Fast & Furious. |
|
7. |
$191 million |
 |
The long-awaited sequel to Pixar's Cars
finally hit theaters in June and was greeted by fair to poor reviews.
Most called it Pixar's weakest effort and although it ranks #7 for 2011,
it ranks #11 among Pixar's top-grossing films, surpassing only A
Bug's Life. Personally, I thought it was very entertaining. |
|
10. |
$176 million |
 |
Although some would argue Captain America isn't a
"car" movie, it did feature some great action sequences, including a
James Bond-like motorcycle chase. It ranked #10 for the year,
which surprises me, because it was, by far, my favorite movie of the
year. It was topped by Thor, but fared better than
X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern. |
|
30. |
$98 million |
 |
On January 14, Seth Rogen's version of The Green
Hornet arrived in theaters to generally poor reviews. It was
great to see The Black Beauty on the big screen, but let's face it, Seth
Rogen is no Van Williams. |
|
82. |
$34 million |
 |
My SECOND favorite movie of the year didn't fare too
well at the box office. Drive only nabbed $34 million to
rank #82 for the year, despite positive reviews. Ryan Gosling was
terrific as the mechanic by day, getaway driver by night. Although
a little too ultra-violent for some people's tastes, it was one of the
most stylish movies of the year, and featured a hypnotic soundtrack. |
|
89. |
$29 million |
 |
What would a Top Car Movies list be
without an appearance by Jason Statham? Statham is one of my
favorite action heroes, but unfortunately, his movies don't fare too
well at the box office. Released way back in January, The
Mechanic only brought in $29 million to finish at #89.
Statham's top-grossing movie so far was 2003's The Italian Job
($106 million.) |
|
130. |
$10.7 million |
 |
And finally, Nicholas Cage's Drive Angry 3D
just flat out tanked at the box office, netting just under $11 million
following its release in February. I have to admit, although not a
great movie, it did have some campy appeal. Give it a chance on
DVD if you haven't seen it yet. |
Again, 2011 was a pretty great year for car movies, featuring some very
entertaining and high-grossing movies. How is 2012 shaping up?
Well, the most anticipated film of 2012 appears to be the final Batman
installment The Dark Knight Rises, which I'm sure will be the highest
grossing film of the year. Among those battling to come in second to
Batman will be: The Ghost Rider sequel (2/17); another Bourne
movie, The Bourne Legacy (8/3) will surely feature some amazing car
chases; Expendables 2 boasts a cast that makes this installment look
even better than the first one; and finally, Liam Neeson returns for the
sequel to 2008's surprise hit Taken which will arrive in theaters in
October of 2012. See you at the movies! (Thanks to
www.boxofficemojo.com
for the information used above.)
 
12/4/11
- "California, Here We Come!"
My thanks goes out to Bruce who brought
this to my attention. Since I started collecting Hollywood die-cast
cars, my Wish List has dwindled down to a handful of cars. One of
those near the top of my Wish List is the '55 Pontiac Star Chief featured in
TV show I Love Lucy, driven across country by the Ricardos and
Mertzes on their way to Los Angeles. It seems my wish has come true,
at least in 1:18 scale. Sun Star has released a beautiful die-cast
version of the car in Nautilus Blue/White Mist, complete with removable
figures of the Ricardos and Mertzes. It's a little pricey at around
$100, but this is a MUST-HAVE for my collection. The episodes where
Lucy and the gang visit Los Angeles are my favorites, and are the reason I
have such a love for Hollywood.
 
 
11/27/11
- Holy Multipack, Batman!
I haven't had much luck finding Mattel's
DC die-cast cars in my area, and now I find out there's yet another thing I
haven't found. Arturo Garcia of San Antonio sent me images of a Batman
4-pack he found at his local WalMart. It includes die-cast vehicles
sporting artwork of Batman, Robin, Penguin & Catwoman. This is
DEFINITELY on my Christmas Wish List!
11/27/11
- Cars Director's Edition
If you're looking for that perfect gift
for the Cars fan in your family, look no further than this incredible
collection of DVDs that includes Cars, Cars 2 & Mater's Tall Tales.
As an added bonus, you'll also get a die-cast version of John Lassetire,
named after director John Lasseter and member of Jeff Gorvette's pit crew.
    
11/8/11
- GreenLight Hollywood: The Sequel
Stopping into a local Meijer store, I
stumbled onto 5 of the 6 vehicles that make up the second release of
GreenLight's Hollywood series. Pictured above, from left, is Reggie's
Pontiac GTO from the 1977 film Slap Shot, Kevin's Pontiac GTO Judge
and Benny's Chevrolet Cheyenne from the 1993 movie Dazed & Confused,
Rio Police Dodge Charger from Fast Five, and Gibb's Dodge Challenger
from NCIS. Missing from the pegs was Bandit's Trans-Am from
Smokey & The Bandit II. It's an interesting assortment of cars,
with Bandit's Trans-Am probably proving the most popular of this assortment,
even though the second installment of the Bandit series is mediocre
at best. Slap Shot ranks among the greatest sports comedies
ever made, so I don't mind the inclusion of Reggie's (Paul Newman) Pontiac
GTO, although I don't remember the car from the movie (it's been a while
since I've seen it.) The Dazed & Confused vehicles are well
done and will be popular with collectors. There are several others
cars from Fast Five I would like to have seen before the Rio Police
car, but hopefully they'll get around to them. The Dodge Challenger
from NCIS is a great-looking car, but c'mon. This ranks down
there with the Charger from CSI: Miami. Is anybody really
clamoring for cars from these procedural cop dramas? I don't think so.
 11/09/11
UPDATE: I found the sixth and final member of the series
when I stopped into my local Toys R Us. The 1980 Pontiac Trans-Am from
Smokey & The Bandit II was hanging on the pegs with the other cars.
It's a great-looking car, and although the FIRST movie is one of my all-time
favorite movies, I'm just not a fan of the sequel. I'm sure it
will be popular with collectors, however.
11/3/11
- Cars That Never Were
A couple of years ago I wrote an article
for this website on The Cars That
Never Were, listing all the Hollywood die-cast car prototypes and
concepts that never went into production. Among those listed was a
rumored 1:64 scale version of The Car. Way back in 2003,
Diamond Distributors had announced that The Car would be included in
RC2's entertainment series. But when cases shipped, The Car
wasn't included. Eventually, The Car would be released in 1:18
scale, but never in 1:64 scale. I asked Johnny Lightning's Tom
Zahorsky if he could provide any info on this, and he insisted that he had a
1:64 scale die-cast prototype somewhere in his collection, but just couldn't
find it. The story fell into the category of "Urban Legend" until NOW!
Tom Z. finally dug up the one-of-a-kind prototype and posted a photo of it
on his blog at
JohnnyLightning.com. (He gave me permission to repost it above.)
When I saw it, my jaw fell open. It is a thing of beauty! If
only we collectors could've added this to our collection! Who knows,
maybe someday...but for now, we'll just have to stare in awe at this amazing
and incredibly rare prototype!
Archives:
2/03
3/03
4/03 5/03
6/03 7/03
8/03 9/03
10/03 11/03
12/03
1/04
2/04 3/04
4/04 5/04
6/04 7/04
8/04 9/04
10/04 11/04
12/04
1/05
2/05 3/05
4/05 5/05
6/05 7/05
8/05 9/05
10/05 11/05
12/05
1/06
2/06
3/06 4/06
5/06 6/06
7/06 8/06
9/06 10/06
11/06 12/06
1/07 2/07
3/07 4/07
5/07 6/07
7/07 8/07
9/07 10/07
11/07 12/07
1/08 2/08
3/08 4/08
5/08 6/08
7/08 8/08
9/08 10/08
11/08 12/08
1/09
2/09 3/09
4/09 5/09
6/09 7/09
8/09 9/09
10/09 11/09
12/09
1/10 2/10
3/10 4/10
5/10 6/10
7/10 8/10
9/10 10/10
11/10 12/10
2011
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