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November'06 News
Archive
11/28/06 - Yet Another
Batmobile Update!
Joe Dieter from Baltimore sent me a
link to a Hot Wheels press release regarding the 1966 Batmobile. Check
out the photos at the bottom. Apparently they measured the real-deal
to get the appropriate dimensions. Click
HERE to check it out.
  
11/28/06 - "YOU ARE A
TOY...CAR!"
Mike Lehman and his son spotted Buzz &
Woody
on www.kbtoys.com. Something else
to look for.
Thanks for the heads-up Mike.
UPDATE:
Pammie spotted a few more: Luigi & Guido in Ferrari Gear
and Mike & Sully.
    
11/27/06 - Sponsor News
I received an e-mail from Movie Car
Mania alerting me to new arrivals. Rodney received another supply of
1:18 scale Shelby "Eleanor" die-cast cars, including the signed edition.
They also have a limited supply of chrome versions of K.I.T.T. and the Mach
5 in 1:18 scale. And finally, make that James Bond fan in your family
happy with a 1:18 scale version of the Aston Martin DBS from Casino
Royale. Click on the link in the right column before they sell
out.
11/26/06 - Dirt Track
McQueen
I spotted another "new" Cars
release showing up on eBay. This time it's Dirt Track McQueen, a
carded version of the car that was included in the Radiator Springs Mountain
Challenge. I don't know about you, but I'm having a heckuva time
finding these new releases in my area. As soon as stores fill their
pegs, the cars disappear. I hope Hot Wheels meets the demand for these
cars.
11/25/06 - Mystery
Batmobile
Apparently, the Hot Wheels Batmobile
from the animated series The Batman is now hitting stores and showing
up on eBay. Because it's sealed in "Mystery" packaging, you don't know
what you're going to get until you open it. I went to Target yesterday
where they had a TON of new Hot Wheels product on the pegs. I found
two Mystery cars, only to discover when I got home they were from the
previous wave. Happy hunting.
11/25/06 - Nobody Does It
Better...than who?
After hearing Chris Cornell's
forgettable theme song in Casino Royale, I got to thinking, which
film features the best James Bond theme? Not counting John Barry's
theme from Dr. No, which went on to become Bond's signature theme
song, I created a poll to let you decide which is the best theme. Take
into account the vocals, the lyrics, the appropriateness for the film, the
images it conjures up (like, say, floating nekkid ladies) and whether or not
it stands on its own as a good song. Click
HERE to vote and you can only vote
once, so choose wisely.
11/24/06 - Casino
Royale: My Review
I just got back from seeing Casino
Royale. Any time a new Bond film comes to theaters, it's a pretty
big deal for me. The first Bond film I remember seeing (at the
drive-in) was Diamonds are Forever, and I've been there for each
subsequent release. First of all, let me start off by saying it was a
thoroughly enjoyable experience. My main concern going in was that I
would have trouble accepting Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond. I
thought Pierce Brosnan did such a great job with the character. I was
disappointed when I heard he wouldn't be returning. However, right off
the bat, I thought Daniel Craig fit well into the role. He definitely
is the most rugged of the actors to play the role, and projected a steely
coldness, but still retained the sense of humor I enjoy about the character.
He seemed a bit uncomfortable in a tuxedo, in contrast to his predecessors,
and this particular Bond showed the cuts and bruises of the
well-choreographed fight scenes, as opposed to past Bonds, whose hair barely
got mussed. I was also afraid this particular Bond outing would stray
too far from the formula I've come to enjoy, but most of the elements were
there: the car (or cars), the Bond girls and the villain. It was
awesome to see the '64 Aston Martin (above left) make a cameo appearance,
but unfortunately, though beautiful to look at, the new Aston Martin DBS
(above right) was all show and no go. It wasn't used very creatively
before meeting its untimely end in the film.
I guess my biggest
complaint about the film was the decision to go back to Bond's origins.
Why not just pick up where the last one left off? By establishing that
James Bond had recently been assigned his double-o status, it was odd to see
the story set in modern times, with modern technology. If you're going
to insist on retelling Bond's origin, I think it would've been more
interesting and stylish to place the film in the sixties. It was also
an interesting decision to pit Bond against the villain in a high-stakes
game of ... Texas Hold 'Em? Not exactly the most elegant game, but I
guess the producers decided that with the game's popularity of late, the
audience would be able to relate to the game.
In summary, Craig was
likable in the role, the Bond women were lovely, the cars were cool, the
villain was quirky, the action was intense, and there were some interesting
twists and turns. I would've liked to have seen a more exciting car
chase, a few more goofy gadgets, and the Bond theme entitled "You Know My
Name" performed by Chris Cornell was, well, forgettable.
I'm already looking
forward to Daniel Craig's next outing as Bond, James Bond. Click
HERE to
visit the official site.
11/24/06 - Aston Martin
DBS
In conjunction with the release of the
latest Bond flick Casino Royale, Joy Ride has released this 1:18
scale replica of the Aston Martin DBS featured in the film. The above
image was sent to me by Pro-Models, Inc. who has gotten a supply of them in
stock. Click on the link at the right for more info.
  
11/20/06 - Sponsor News
With the holidays quickly approaching
(hard to believe, wow) help support Hollywood Die-Cast by shopping with our
sponsors. Movie Car Mania has many TV and movie-related products,
including Joy Ride 3-Packs from The Dukes of Hazzard (above.)
If 1:18 scale cars are your thing, check out the 1:18 scale Challenger from
Vanishing Point (below.) Though it's not an officially-licensed
release, Rodney of Movie Car Mania says it's more accurate than ERTL's
release. Read his review
HERE. Click on the links to the right to begin your holiday
shopping today!
   
11/20/06 - Collectors'
Collections
Collector Tim Masterson sent me some
very nice photos of his 1:18 scale collection. Visit the
Collectors' Collections section of my site to
see all of them. I may also used them to enhance the 1:18 scale
checklist, too. Thanks for sharing Tim.
 
11/18/06 - Hamm & Mater on
Rye, Hold the Mayo
Supercharged Hamm and blue Mater are
showing up on eBay and going for astronomical prices. Current auction
values fall around $50 - $60. If you remember, Leakless, Nitroade,
Sarge and others went for a ton of money at one time, but became more common
after awhile. I'm going to be patient and see if I can find these at
retail.
 
11/9/06 - Robocop
Vehicles?
Scott tipped me off about these
vehicles that appeared on eBay. Made by Majorette, these 1:64 scale
vehicles are from the Robocop TV series. Does anyone have more
info about them? How many were in the entire line? Send me an
e-mail if you can provide more info and photos.
UPDATE:
I've added Robocop: The Series to the TV gallery. Click
HERE to see more vehicles.
11/8/06 - A "Mystery" No
More!
The above photo was posted in the
forums at
www.hotwheelscollectors.com which apparently reveals the Batmobile from
The Batman animated series, which is slated to be included in an
upcoming Hot Wheels Mystery Cars wave. I'm a little underwhelmed.
I was expecting something a little more exciting. Of course, it'll
still end up in my Batmobile collection.
 
11/8/06 - Coming Up from
Cars!
The following list was found on
Wikipedia. Here's what you can expect from Hot Wheels' Cars
line in the near future. Very cool stuff. It's going to be
difficult to keep up. Check out Lightning's white wall tires in the
pic above. I found the 2-pack at Target.
Single Packs
- Radiator Springs McQueen
- Dirt Track McQueen (Previously
only available in Mountain Challenge Playset)
- Brand New Mater
- Fabulous Hudson Hornet
- Yellow Ramone
- Purple Ramone (Previously only
available in Movie Moments)
- Boost (Previously only available
in Movie Moments)
Movie Moments
- Sarge and Fillmore
- Sally and Cruising McQueen
-
Buzz &
Woody
Character Packs
- Cruising Couples - Sally and
Lightning McQueen, Flo and Purple Ramone
- Shopkeepers - Mater, Sarge,
Fillmore and Green Ramone
Wave Four (Tentatively January 2007), and Other
Reported Cars
Single Packs
These cars are now official to come
out in 5-6 waves in 2007
Movie Moments
11/6/06 - Holy Sneak Peek,
Batman!
I've gotten several e-mails on this.
Check out the artwork displayed above.
  
11/6/06 - This just in!
My computer was down for a little
while, but thanks to my brother Ray, Hollywood Die-Cast is back to normal.
Thanks Ray!
While my computer was
down, the new series of Cars hit the pegs. Most are re-releases on new cardbacks, but there are three new repaints to look for in the current
assortment: Lightning McQueen in his candy apple red paint job, a
yellow version of Ramone, and (my favorite) Doc Hudson in his Fabulous Hudson Hornet
appearance. I haven't seen them in stores yet, but they're all over
eBay.
In other news, last
Thursday I came home to find a note from UPS, so I made arrangements to pick
up the package this morning. A grin stretched across my face when I
opened the package to find a boxed set of race cars from Talladega Nights.
Made by Motorsports Authentics, the five 1:64 scale cars look like they
drove right off the screen. The detail is amazing. Check out the pics below:
 
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