Robocop 2

If Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop is a Jesus story – with Robocop being an industrialized, American Jesus – then Robocop 2 is about Christ’s perversion. This second installment in the Robocop series, directed  by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back), does contain some of Verhoeven’s intentions but is a different beast altogether. Comic book creator Frank Miller (Sin City, Batman: Year One, Hard Boiled, 300) penned this sequel and his brand of humor and writing is apparent – Robocop 2 is enjoyable and clever at times – but it’s missing the outsider’s perspective (Verhoeven is Dutch) making Robocop such a clever and insightful film.

Kenner’s Star Wars toys

Oh childhood. How many of us lament for the days past, yearning to go back and recreate a time where things like rent, mortgages, or employment weren’t even a consideration. A time before puberty when girls seemed weird and masturbation wasn’t the only pastime we enjoyed. Wait, this only applies to the boys out there reading this – for that I apologize to any female readers.

Moving on, this is a post about old Star Wars toys. Lately I’ve been on a big Star Wars kick. I haven’t watched the film again and I probably won’t but after my friend Justin posted an old PSA where C-3PO catches R2-D2 smoking a cigarette (click here for that post) I can’t stop looking for old Star Wars spots. Today I found a bunch of old commercials for Kenner’s line of Star Wars toys. Below are my favorites.

The Empire Strikes Back read-along storybook

While hunting around for old commercials for Kenner’s Star Wars toys I came across this: a video recreating the old Empire Strikes Back read-along storybook using vintage Star Wars figures. It’s not amazing but it made me laugh, especially since I used to have this old record