Jaws Merchandise Part Two

my collection of Jaws paperbacks.

 

A rather battered version of the original novel

 

Jaws 2 novelisation, notably based on the first version of the screenplay rather than the final film

 

 

 

Night of the Loving Dead - Nekromantik Merchandise!

With the news that the infamous Nekromantik has finally been passed by the British censors and will be out on Blu-ray via Arrow later this year - uncut, no less - it seems apt to post a couple of Nekro products from the time the film first came out.

 

 

This is the original soundtrack seven inch picture disc.

 

And here is the frankly weird comic book!

Godzilla - Aurora style (and bonus electronic knock-off!)

As the new Godzilla tears up the box office, here's my Aurora model kit of the original Big G. 

The first Aurora kit I ever owned (I can't tell you how excited I was!), he's now missing a couple of fingers but still looks great!

 

In the 1990s, I bought this 'walking dinosaur' from electrical retailer Tandy. Looks familiar, doesn't it?

 

Day of the Dead Display standee

This *cough* three dimensional standee was produced to be displayed in UK cinema lobbies, though how many actually were is anyone's guess. 

Paradise Found - Phantom merchandise

I love Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise, recently reissued by Arrow on Blu-ray. To see how much I love it, check out my review. Here are some Phantom goodies from back in the day. Firstly, the soundtrack LP, which is just wonderful.

 

Then there is the tie-in novelisation, which differs from the film in tone and content considerably.

 

And finally, the edition of Cinefantastique that cover-featured the movie.

Tight Fit Heart Shaped Vinyl

Once upon a time - 1982 to be precise - all you needed for a hit single was a 1950s tune, a skinny camp bloke in a vest and two busty dolly birds in leopard skin. Amazingly, Tight Fit had a handful of hits, but it was all over by the time Secret Heart came out (also in 1982 - it wasn't a long career). Notable for the fact that the label seems to be on the wrong way round, this heart-shaped red vinyl single is, of course, pretty bad. But I could never resist a gimmick record.

 

 

The Velvet Hammer!

"Barney Garrett and Jack Marsh are two members of an extraordinary profession. They are part of the Special Squad, a unit of the C.I.D., which is armed and prepard for an eventuality at a moment's notice.

"But though Garrett and Marsh are intelligent, dedicated, expert marksmen, and rained in judo and karate, they are, nevertheless, men with their own private dramas - Garrett with his promiscuous wife, and Marsh with his ever-feuding girl friend.

"THE VELVET HAMMER is an authoritative novel dealing with a section of the police force not generally known to the public. It is also a close and revealing study of two men who have to reconcile their domestic happiness with a job involving murder, drugs, blackmail and prostitution."

No-nonsense stuff from author Donald Franklin and New English Library, published in 1974.

 

Taxi Driver CED Video Disc

One of the more short-lived video formats, the CED video disc was an LP-sized movie system that featured a floppy disc held in a case - you inserted the entire package into the player! It was actually played with a record player-like stylus, and was only good for about 60 plays before it would be worn down to a point of being unwatchable.

As unappealing a format as it was, the actual discs are often things of beauty, and I'll be uploading my collection over the next few months. First up, this amazing artwork for Taxi Driver - a 1983 release.

Jaws Merchandise - part one

I was a big fan of Jaws back in the day - still am, in fact. I've seen it on ever theatrical release since it first came out and owned a lot of Jaws merchandise - the game, the 'shark in a bottle' model kit, the soundtrack LP, the sew on patch, the T-shirt and more. Most of these have long since been lost, but I did manage to hold on to the coffee mug and the necklace (I also still have the soundtrack LP and Lalo Schifrin disco single, but those are for another day...).

Channel Four launches in the TV Times

On November 2nd, 1982 at 4.45pm, Channel Four launched in the UK, giving us a whopping four channels of choice  - at least in peak viewing time. In the early days, C4 broadcast evenings only. The opening show was indestructible quiz show Countdown (with long forgotten hostesses Beverley Isherwood and Kathy Hytner) and other highlights of the first half-week included The Paul Hogan Show, The Comic Strip Presents... Five Go Mad In Dorset, the rather grim documentary The Animals Film, The Munsters, The Tube, Pleasure Palaces (a series about cinema going) and Woodstock. None of these things seem to involve Hot Gossip, who nevertheless get a nipply shot on the front cover.