Monday, October 31, 2016

Media Review: The Vincent Price Collection 2 on Blu-ray (Scream Factory)

Happy Halloween, everyone! This past Friday's review was Halloween-themed, yes, but I figured you guys deserved an extra treat. So cuddle up with a hot beverage of your choice, maybe some pumpkin-based treats, and let's take a look at a collection of movies featuring the master of horror, Vincent Price!

Friday, October 28, 2016

Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Coffin Collection DVD Media Review

Happy Halloween (almost), everyone! Welcome to the Hobby Haven!

Today's review is just in time for the spookiest time of the year! I'm willing to bet most of you are familiar with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark: or at least I hope you are. For the uninitiated, Elvira is the alter ego (of sorts) of the actress Cassandra Peterson, who got her showbiz start back in the 1980s by hosting late-night horror movies on a small, independent TV station in L.A. Clad in a soaring beehive wig and a vampy dress that leaves little to the imagination, she deftly skewers oodles of B-grade horror and sci-fi movies (and C-grade, and D-grade...), making corny jokes and gags. Think MST3K, but with your goth-y best friend enamored of bad vaudeville jokes.

Curious? There's more after the cut.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Happy weekend!

It's finally Friday! I hope you're all as excited for the weekend as I am!

I had to share this with you; the wonderful Miss Momo surprised me with a toy from the DC Super Hero Girls Happy Meals from McDonald's! Three guesses who it was, and the first two don't count...


I am amazed at how well made she is for a modern Happy Meal toy. Her left arm swivels, but the right one is fixed. (...Why??) She can also swivel her head and at the waist. If she could just move her other arm, too, this would be a fantastic toy. The colors are bright, no parts removable, pretty solid...pretty good, overall.


Her hair is rooted and brushable. It's hard to tell from the picture, but her hair streak is purple (or at least a shade of blue that is incredibly close to purple). 


You also get a...POG? I haven't seen those in years. Are they making a comeback? The official character art is on it, which is nice.

Anyway, my nattering aside, have a great weekend, everyone! Miss Scarlett, signing out!

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Nintendo Switch!

Whoaaaa, have you guys seen the news from Nintendo? They just unveiled their new console, the Nintendo Switch. From what I've seen of the trailer, it appears to be a hybrid console-handheld unit. It's a little hard to describe, but basically the Switch is a tablet. If you want to use it as a console, there is a charging unit that you dock it into and then hook up to your TV. You then use a dedicated controller to play the game. If you want to use the Switch as a handheld, you remove it from the dock, and just take it with you. There are detachable mini-controllers on the side, plus a part that pops out of the back so you can stand the tablet up.

Here is the Siliconera article, which has the trailer available: http://www.siliconera.com/2016/10/20/nintendo-officially-unveils-their-next-console-the-nintendo-switch/

Nintendo has also already announced a list of third-party developers who will be working with them. I see my three favorites (Atlus, Level 5, and Spike Chunsoft) on the list, so I am hoping to see some fun games from them! One of my friends who loves gaming on the go is already crossing his fingers that Atlus will port Persona 5 to the Switch; I'm hoping for a new Professor Layton game. (And a new Shin Megami Tensei game. And a new Ace Attorney game. And another Bravely Default or Legend of Legacy. And...well, you get the idea.)

Nobody seems quite sure yet whether or not Nintendo will discontinue making separate handheld and console units. Maybe they will focus their efforts from here on out with making hybrid units. I tend towards consoles, myself, although I have historically bought Nintendo's handhelds because of the good third-party games made for them. I suppose only time will tell, although I can safely say that I won't be even considering getting the Switch until I see the games to be offered. (No word on the price either, although I've heard rumors that the unit will be offered by itself and in a bundle, so both will obviously be priced differently.)

According to other rumors, more info should be arriving next week. I'm most curious about the launch titles, and the pace of games arriving after launch. Lots of stuff to look forward to! Miss Scarlett, signing out!

Friday, October 14, 2016

Figure review: "Sailor Moon" Sailor Mars S.H. Figuarts

Hello there, everyone! I am pretttty excited to be bringing this review to you today!

Whew. Mars has been a long time coming. Basically, even with my new job, I can't buy everything that I want (sadder but truer words were never spoken), so I am trying to balance buying things that have been on my wishlist for a long time with pre-ordering newer items. Given how popular the Sailor Moon Figuarts are (or at least the first five), I haven't been too worried about picking them up, and instead focused on ordering the new figures that seemed to have supply issues.

Well, I finally was able to clear room in my budget to get her! And I am stoked. It's also kind of a load off my shoulders, mentally speaking; the thought of having an incomplete set just bothers me in some strange way. (Given, my set is still lacking Mercury, so it's still incomplete.)

I'll give you all the pics and pertinent info after the cut!

Friday, October 7, 2016

Miss Scarlett Cooks! Apple Crisp

Well, readers, autumn has come once again and I couldn't be happier. The cool weather, the colors, the warm fashions and food~~ It's perfect. So to launch all of us into the festive fall mood, I'm sharing a delicious seasonal recipe for one of my favorite desserts: apple crisp! It's perfect for dessert or even a decadent breakfast the next morning. It's pretty easy to make, too! Everything you need to know is after the jump.


Sunday, October 2, 2016

All for Fall!

Hello, everyone! I hope you've had a good weekend. Welcome to the Hobby Haven!

Well, October has officially begun, although it hasn't been very fall-like yet; it's mostly been pretty grey and grim and damp and rainy. A few trees are starting to turn, but no real gorgeous fall foliage yet. But I'm still pretty pumped. This year, we are throwing a Halloween-themed party at work, so we have been chatting and planning endlessly for it. I'm helping with decorations and music, so I have had an actual excuse to browse Pinterest during work hours, LOL! I got some really good ideas that way, so you'll be seeing a "Miss Scarlett Crafts" Halloween Special!

Also, since I worked on Labor Day, I'm allowed to take off a day of my choosing, so I picked...can you guess? (We're not having the party actually ON Halloween, so there's no scheduling conflict there.) I'll be doing some treat baking that day, since we're not allowed to serve homemade food to students (for fear of allergies and such), so I can guarantee that I'll get some delicious treats no matter what!

It also means that I get to plan ahead for spending a fun, cozy day at home snuggled in blankets and watch spooky movies! So far I'm thinking some of my favorite monster movies (Dracula, The Wolf Man, etc.) mixed with some favorite childhood classics (Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, etc.). I'll need to stock up on some treats like cider and Count Chocula, too.

I'm optimistic that this will be a fun fall!