2024 WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEKS 4 AND 5

 BACK AFTER A WEEK OFF. ACTUALLY MORE LIKE TWO WEEKS OFF, MAKE THAT TWO AND A HALF, I GOT SICK WITH A COLD OR SOMETHING. I'VE BARELY DONE ANYTHING THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS AND MY POST BUFFER IS IN TROUBLE AT THE MOMENT. THANKFULLY I HAVE A FEW DAYS OFF TO CATCH UP. LIKE I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, I HAVE DONE VERY LITTLE CARD-RELATED RECENTLY EXCEPT FOR TRYING TO CLEAN UP AND GET ORGANIZED. THANKFULLY I'VE DONE A LOT OF THAT AND HAVE FOUND SOME INTERESTING GOODIES TO SHOW OFF

INSANE STUFF I'VE FOUND WHILE CLEANING UP BOXES

I HAD A TON OF BOXES OF RANDOM CRAP THAT HAD ACCUMILATED AND WERE JUNKING UP THE PLACE. THESE BOXES INCLUDED MYSTERY BOXES HAULED UP FROM THE BASEMENT, STUFF I PUT AWAY TO BE PUT AWAY LATER AND FORGOTTEN ABOUT, AND BOXES FULL OF STUFF I WANTED OFF MY DESK IMMEDIATELY. THAT'S HOW I WAS ABLE TO FIND A BUNCH OF RELIC CARDS OF HALL OF FAMERS AND FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS INSIDE BOXES OF CRAPOLA. SEE WHY CLEAMING UP IS THE ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT THING I CAN POSSIBLY DO?? NO ONE LIKES RELICS ANYMORE BUT THEY'RE STILL FUN. ALSO FOUND AMONGST THE GARBAGE:

A BUNCH OF COCA-COLA CARDS INCLUDING AN UNOPENED PACK WITH SCHMIDT SHOWING

SOME NICE VINTAGE CARDS RUINED WITH SOME FOIL

BOX BOTTOM CARDS! WHY ARE ACTUAL BOXES EASIER TO FIND THAN CUT OUT CARDS

SOME O-PEE-CHEE CARDS. I REALLY NEED TO GET MY ACT TOGETHER AND SORT OUT MY O-PEE-CHEES. THERE'S A COUPLE 80S SETS I HAVE A CHANCE TO COMPLETE AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET A TYPE CARD FOR EACH YEAR AT LEAST THROUGH THE 70S

THEN THERE'S THIS HAPPY FELLOW. WHY SHOW OFF A 1962 CARD?

BECAUSE IT'S FROM VENEZUELA. THIS IS LIKE A FORTY DOLLAR CARD. I REALLY GOTTA GET MY ACT TOGETHER

I ALSO RECEIVED A PACKAGE FROM KERRY AT CARDS ON CARDS AND I HAVE RESOLVED TO POST THESE THINGS IMMEDIATELY THIS YEAR BECAUSE I DO NOT NEED MORE UNWRITTEN POSTS LANGUISHING IN THE DRAFT FOLDER OR EVEN THE IMAGE FOLDER. IT'S NOT FUN FOR ANYONE AND NICE PEOPLE WHO SEND ME CARDS SHOULD BE REOGNIZED. OF OF COURSE I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE CARDS AND THEN DIDN'T WRITE ANY OTHER POSTS UNTIL RIGHT NOW. SO NOW'S THE TIME TO POST IT!

I ENJOY SEEING ACTUAL STAMPS ON PACKAGES WHEN I GET THEM. SO MUCH POSTAGE NOWADAYS IS JUST PRINTED OUT THAT SEEING AN OLD FASHIONED STAMP IS NICE. THIS PURPLE HEART STAM IS INDEED VERY PURPLE

KERRY OFFERED UP SOME DINGED OR OTHERWISE NOT MINT CARDS UP FOR FREE ON HIS BLOG AND I CHOSE THESE FOUR: WILLIAM CONTRERAS MOSAIC ROOKIE CARD, CORBIN CARROLL SI FOR KIDS CARD, A 2023 HERITAGE STAMPS INSERT, AND A 2002 FLEER FALL CLASSICS RED SCHOENDIENST SERIES OF CHAMPIONS INSERT. ALL THESE CARDS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE GEM MINT 11 TO ME AND I AM HAPPY TO GIVER THEM A GOOD HOME. I WILL DO MY BEST TO PUT THEM AWAY IN A TIMELY MANNER SO THEY DO NOT END UP IN ANOTHER POST LIKE THIS IN FIVE YEARS. "HEY GUYS I FOUND A CORBIN CARROLL SI FOR KIDS CARD IN A BOX OF CRAP!"

I REALLY LIKE THIS STAMP CARD THOUGH, DICK ALLEN CARDS ARE NOT EASY TO FIND AND EVERY NEW ONE IS A TREASURE. I LIKE TO THINK I HAVE A DECENT VINTAGE COLLECTION BUT I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A SINGLE ONE OF THE ORIGINAL 1974 STAMPS. MAYBE ONE'S HIDING IN ONE OF THESE BOXES

THE BEST CARD I BOUGHT THIS WEEK

I ACTUALLY DID GET SOMETHING FROM COMC THIS PAST WEEK. OR WAS IT THE WEEK BEFORE? TIME HAS BECOME A LITTLE UNHINGED FOR ME LATELY. I'VE BEEN IDLY SEARCHING UP COOL STUFF ON THE SITE EVERY SO OFTEN, FINDING SOMETHING REALLY NEAT AND THEN NOT BUYING IT FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW. THIS TIME INSTEAD I LOOKED UP SOMETHING I ACTUALLY WANTED AND WENT AHEAD AND GOT IT

THIS PURCHASE OF A TRIO OF 1991 KELLOGG'S CARDS WAS INSPIRED BY ONE OF THE BLACK FRIDAY PICKUPS YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT EVENTUALLY. BASICALLY, I WAS ASHAMED BY HOW FEW OF THESE 1991 CARDS I HAD AND CHECKED COMC TO SEE HOW I COULD RECTIFY THAT. QUITE A FEW COST MORE OR LESS FIFTY CENTS EACH AND I REALIZED THAT IF I HAD FOUND THESE THINGS IN AN ACTUAL FIFTY CENT BOX I WOULDN'T EVEN THINK BEFORE SNATCHING THEM UP SO I PICKED UP LOU BROCK, YOGI BERRA AND RALPH KINER. I DIDN'T BUY ALL THE CARDS THAT COST FIFTY CENTSISH, I ONLY BOUGHT THE ONES THAT WERE ON SALE BECAUSE I'M A CHEAP BASTARD. THREE WAS A GOOD NUMBER TO GET BECAUSE NOW I HAVE OVER FIFTY PERCENT OF THE 15 CARD SET WHICH MAKES ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF

THERE'S ALSO THE WEEKLY BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA ROUNDUPS. I OWE YOU TWO OF THEM THIS TIME AND OH BOY DID I OVERDO IT

WEEK 4 TOTALS BY CATEGORY:

WANTLIST CARDS FOR SETS: 24
BRAVES/HAWKS/DAWGS/ETC: 8
INSERT CARDS: 18
STAR/PC CARDS: 11
SHIIIIIINY CARDS: 10

CHRONICLES: 1

ODDBALLS: 3

AUTOGRAPHS: 1

75 TOTAL CARDS FOR THIS WEEK. SO MUCH FOR KEEPING IT TO ONE 40 CARD PACK. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FLUFF IN THIS BATCH THOUGH. LOTS OF WANTLIST AND A BUNCH OF THE INSERTS WERE OFF WANTLISTS AS WELL. THERE WERE MANY OPTIONS FOR BEST OF THE BUNCH INCLUDING SOME REALLY NEAT ODDBALLS I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE BUT I HAD TO GO WITH THIS BONDS INSERT. THIS COMPLETES MY 1991 ULTRA TEAM SET AND WAS ONE OF THE LAST CARDS I PASSED UP IN MY COMC BINGE. MY 1991 ULTRA SET IS NOW COMPLETE, AT LEAST WHENEVER I TRACK DOWN ALL THE STICKER CARDS

THIS ALSO HAPPENED, A FEW WANTLIST ITEMS STARTED POPPING UP FROM TIME TO TIME INCLUDING THESE 1992 STADIUM CLUB CARDS. THIS IS VERY APPRECIATED, 92 STADIUM CLUB IS ONE OF THOSE SETS I AM SUPER CLOSE TO COMPLETING BUT I NEVER THINK ABOUT

WEEK 5 TOTALS BY CATEGORY:

WANTLIST CARDS FOR SETS: 19
BRAVES/HAWKS/DAWGS/ETC: 14
INSERT CARDS: 13
STAR/PC CARDS: 3
SHIIIIIINY CARDS: 12

CHRONICLES: 5

ODDBALLS: 5

AUTOGRAPHS: 1

I DIALED IT BACK A BIT AND ONLY GOT 73 CARDS THIS WEEK. I WASN'T GUITE AS FOCUSED THIS TIME AS I PICKED UP SOME REALLY ODD STUFF INCLUDING A BUBBY BRISTER AUTOGRAPH. THE CHOICE FOR THE BEST CARD WAS TOUGH AS I MANAGER TO GET A FRED DRYER ROOKIE BUT I'M GOING WITH THIS BIG LEAGUE CHEW WILLIE MAYS. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO COLLECT THIS SET SINCE I PULLED AN AARON OUT OF A POUCH OF GUM 35 YEARS AGO AND WILLIE GETS ME ONE CARD CLOSER

NON-CARD COOL STUFF I DID WHICH THIS TIME IS ONLY MOVIES

I HAVEN'T DONE A WHOLE LOT THE PAST FEW WEEKS OTHER THAN LISTEN TO BACKGROUND NONSENSE AND PLAY STARDEW VALLEY. WAIT! I CAN DO VIDEO GAMES TOO!

VIDYA GAEMZ

CAN YA TELL I LIKE STARDEW VALLEY? IT'S A FUN LITTLE GAME WHERE YOU FARM AND CHOP TREES AND CATCH FISH AND SMASH ROCKS AND STAB MONSTERS AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND YOU GET LITTLE REWARDS FOR DOING THINGS, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE. IT'S SUPER FUN (MAYBE TOO FUN - I'VE STAYED UP WAY TOO LATE DOING JUST ONE MORE DAY) AND IS CHEAP EVEN WITHOUT A DISCOUNT AND IS ABOUT TO GET A BIG UPDATE WITH NEW STUFF. IT ALSO WORKS IF YOU HAVE AN OLD CRUMMY COMPUTER. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE FOR A COUPLE YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT IT, MY COMPUTER WAS TOO OLD AND TOO CRUMMY AND REFUSED TO PLAY IT. THIS ENDED UP BEING A GOOD THING AS I FINALLY UPGRADED IN TIME FOR THE 1.5 UPDATE WHICH ADDED A WHOLE NEW AREA AND A BUNCH OF NEW STUFF TO DO WHICH IS A BIG REASON WHY THIS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE TWO GAMES I STILL PLAY ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT MIGHT NOT BE FOR EVERYONE, YOU HAVE TO LIKE 2D RETRO GAMES, AND THE TONE OF THE COZY FARMSIM GOES OUT THE WINDOW WITH THE FRANTIC FISHING AND COMBAT MINIGAMES, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH STUFF IN HERE TO KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED FOR A LONG TIME. NOT THE STUPID ARCADE GAME THOUGH, THAT DUMB THING WILL ENSURE I NEVER 100% THE ACHIEVEMENTS

OK BACK TO THE MOVIES

#8 - CITY LIGHTS

I WATCHED A VIDEO ON SCI-FI MOVIES OF 1931 AND THERE WAS A LIST OF IMPORTANT NOT SCI-FI MOVIES AT THE END AND ONE OF THEM WAS THE 1931 VERSION OF DR JECKYLL AND MR HYDE. I DECIDED I WANTED TO WATCH THAT BUT COULD NOT FIND IT ANYWHERE AS THE 1920 VERSION KEPT POPPING UP. SO I GOT MAD AND WATCHED THIS FILM FROM 1931 INSTEAD. I HAVE TO RESPECT CHARLIE CHAPLAIN FOR MAKING A SILENT FILM IN 1931 AND STILL HAVING THE BALLS TO INCLUDE A LOT OF SOUND GAGS. WHILE I ENJOYED THIS, IT WAS A BIG REMINDER ON WHY I PREFER W.C. FIELDS AND THE MARX BROTHERS AND THE THREE STOOGES FOR MY ANCIENT COMEDY NEEDS. DON'T GET ME WRONG, CHAPLAIN'S SLAPSTICK IS TOP NOTCH HERE, THE SCENE WHERE HE'S OOGLING A NAKED STATUE WHILE TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF A SIDEWALK ELEVATOR IS STILL MAKING ME LAUGH AND THERE'S A DOZEN OTHER SCENES LIKE THAT.  IT'S A GREAT COMEDY BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE THE MARX BROS COULD BE JUST AS FUNNY WITHOUT THE WHOLE CREEPING ON A BLIND GIRL PLOT AND FIELDS WOULD HAVEREALLY GIVEN THAT IDIOT MILLOONAIRE THE BUSINESS. JUST A MATTER OF PREFERENCE

#9 - NIGHT OF THE EAGLE

AKA BURN WITCH BURN. A COMPELETLY FULL OF HIMSELF COLLEGE PROFESSOR IGNORES HIS WIFE'S ADVICE AND WATCHES AS HIS LIFE AND CAREER GOES ALL TO SHIT. AND ALSO THERE'S WITCHY SHIT. THIS IS A SLOW BURN GOTHIC HORROR THAT CAN BE VERY SLOW AT TIMES AND THE WHOLE FALSE RAPE ACCUSATION SUBPLOT HAS AGED EXCEEDINGLY POORLY BUT THE LAST FIFTEEN MINUTES OR SO WHERE THE WITCHYNESS IS TURNED UP TO 11 IS A REAL HOOT. I DON'T KNOW IF I'D RECOMMEND THIS ONE, PER SE, BUT IF YOU'RE A FAN OF ALL THINGS WITCHY YOU CAN SURELY DO WORSE

#10 - MIKEY AND NICKY

JOHN CASSAVETES, PETER FALK AND NED BEATTY. NEED I SAY MORE? SOMEONE ON ONE OF THE DOZENS OF SOCIAL MEDIAS I'M ON THANKS TO MELONHEAD WRECKING TWITTER MENTIONED THIS FILM AND I DECIDED TO CHECK IT OUT. CASSAVETES (NICKY) IS ON THE RUN FROM A MOB HIT AND CALLS ON HIS CHILDHOOD BUDDY FALK (MIKEY) TO HELP HIM ESCAPE. HIJINX ENSUES AS NICKY HAS MIKEY CHASE HIM ALL OVER NEW YORK AS BEATTY'S HITMAN CHARACTER IS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THEM. IT'S THE DARKEST OF DARK COMEDIES AND WHILE I THOUGHT I HAD NEVER SEEN IT, THE SHOCKING ENDING JOGGED BACK MEMORIES OF BEING COMPLETELY HORRIFIED BY IT AS A KID. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF THE FILM BACK THEN BUT I'M REALLY GLAD I REVISITED IT. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO LOVES DARK PARANOID 70'S FILM

#11 - THE BIG LEBOWSKI

THIS IS A COMFORT MOVIE FOR ME AND I NEED TO REMEMBER TO WATCH THESE THINGS MORE OFTEN. IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS THE BASIC SUMMARY IS WHAT IF A FILM NOIR BUT IT'S SET IN THE 90S AND EVERYONE'S A COMPLETE IDIOT. IT IS GETTING SOMEWHAT STARTLING JUST HOW 90S THIS MOVIE IS, EVERY TIME I WATCH IT IT REALLY HITS ME HOW THIS WORLD STRAIGHT UP NO LONGER EXISTS ANYMORE. THIS VERSION OF 90S CALIFORNIA  MIGHT AS WELL BE THE 70S NEW YORK OF MIKEY AND NICKY OR THE 30S WHATEVER CITY THAT IS IN CITY LIGHTS, ANCIENT HISTORY. A LITTLE DISCONCERTING CONCIDERING I WAS ALIVE THEN

#12 - CANDLESHOE

ONCE AGAIN SOMEONE ON BLUESKY MENTIONED THIS FILM SO I FELT COMPELLED TO GO WATCH IT. THIS IS A FORGOTTEN 70S DISNEY FILM THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY CHILDHOOD CRUSH ON JODIE FOSTER THAT IS NOW EMBARASSING TO MENTION. THANKS FOR NOTHIN, HINKLEY. JODIE IS JOINED BY DAVID NIVEN, LEO MCKERN AND HELEN HAYES IN THIS RAGS TO RICHES, MYSTERY, DETECTIVE, COMEDY THING. THE BASIC PLOT IS FOSTER IS A DELINQUENT WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME AGE AS THE LOST HEIR TO A FORTUNE AND LEO MCKERN'S CON MAN CHARACTER RECRUITS HER TO HELP HIM STEAL A TREASURE. I WATCHED THIS THING A BUNCH OF TIMES WHEN I WAS A KID AND I GOTTA SAY I DID NOT REMEMBER JODIE COMMITTING MULTIPLE MISDEMENORS AND AT LEAST ONE FELONY DURING THE TITLE SEQUENCE. FOSTER IS A HORRIBLE LITTLE SHIT IN THIS FILM AND IT'S GREAT. HELEN HAYES IS THE LOVING GRANDMA AND DAVID NIVEN GETS TO HAM IT UP AS THE BUTLER WHO ALSO PLAYS A HALF DOZEN OTHER ROLES FOR COMIC RELIEF. IT'S A PERFECTLY CROMULENT FLICK FROM THE DISMAL DISNEY YEARS, THE CAST IS EXCELLENT AND THE MYSTERY IS COMPELLING ENOUGH EVEN THOUGH THE CHARACTERS ARE THE REAL FOCUS OF THE FILM. I WAS KIND OF SHOCKED AT JUST HOW VIOLENT IT WAS. RIGHT AFTER ALL THE TITLE SEQUENCE CRIMES FOSTER'S CHARACTER IS LITERALLY SOLD BY HER FOSTER PARENTS TO A SHADY HOOD. LATER ON THERE'S AN ALL OUT BRAWL BETWEEN JODIE AND THE ORPHAN CHILDREN THAT LIVE WITH HER GRANDMOTHER AND LEO MCKERN DAMN NEAR KILLS JODIE WITH HIS CAR. THE MOST SHOCKING OFFENSE IS A PLOT POINT WHERE DAVID NIVEN PARKS A CAR ON TRACKS IN ORDER TO STOP A MOVING TRAIN. THIS IS THE FIRST FUCKING THING THEY WARN ABOUT IN ALL THOSE BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY HIGH SCHOOL DRIVING FILMSTRIPS! TRAINS CAN'T STOP THAT QUICKLY! I CAN SEE WHY DISNEY HAS DROPPED THIS ONE IN THE MEMORY HOLE BUT IT IS A WORTHWHILE WATCH JUST FOR THE CAST. TEENAGED JODIE COULD FUCKIN ACT.  JUST DON'T LET THE KIDS WATCH IT

#13 AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON

PEOPLE USUALLY POINT TO KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE WHEN TALKING ABOUT A SUPER OFFENSIVE SKETCH COMEDY MOVIE, BUT DON'T SLEEP ON AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON. THIS IS A LOVE LETTER TO 80S FILM SCHLOCK WITH JAPES AT PLAYBOY CHANNEL NONSENSE, VIDEO RENTALS, ANNOYING INFOMERCIALS AND LATE NIGHT B-MOVIE TRASH. SOME OF THE JOKES AND ONE OF THE DIRECTORS HAVE AGED POORLY BUT A LOT OF THEM STILL HIT HARD AND THERE'S A GREAT CAST FOR ALL YOU CHARACTER ACTOR SPOTTERS OUT THERE. AMONG THE BEST BITS ARE ARSENIO HALL'S VERY BAD DAY, HENRY SILVA'S BULLSHIT OR NOT? SEGMENTS, THE CRITIC'S CORNER REVIEWING A VIEWER'S DEATH, LOU JACOBI GETTING TRAPPED IN THE TELEVISION AND VIDEO PIRATE WILLIAM MARSHALL MOCKING A VHS TAPE'S FBI WARNING. 'OOOOH, I'M SOOOO SCAAARED' THE TRUE MVP IS EASILY DAVID ALAN GRIER'S DON 'NO SOUL' SIMMONS THOUGH. HE STILL SINGS THE DEFINITIVE VERSION OF BLAME IT ON THE BOSSANOVA IN MY OPINION. THE MOVIE PARODIES ARE ALSO TOP NOTCH WITH UNIVERSAL PARODY SON OF THE INVISIBLE MAN,  REEFER MADNESS KNOCKOFF RECKLESS YOUTH AND THE TITULAR AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON, A SPOT ON 50S SCHLOCK SCI-FI MOCKERY. RECKLESS YOUTH ALSO FEATURES CARRIE FISHER, PAUL BARTELL AND A CAMEO FROM BELA LUGOSI! PLUS THERE'S A LOT MORE BOOBS IN THIS THAN I REMEMBERED. COMEDY IS PERSONAL BUT I LIKE THIS KIND OF STOOPIDNESS

#14 MURDER BY DEATH
SPEAKING OF COMEDIES THAT HAVE AGED NOT GREATLY WE HAVE MURDER BY DEATH. WHILE IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT PETER SELLERS' YELLOWFACE 'CONFUCIOUS SAY' SYDNEY WANG CHARACTER IS MOCKING THE NUMEROUS DEPICTIONS OF CHARLIE CHAN IN FILM, IT'S HARD TO ARGUE THAT AFTER SEEING THAT DREADFUL FU MANCHU MOVIE HE DID. FUNNY AS SELLERS IS, THE JOKE JUST DON'T LAND ANY MORE SO IT'S GOOD THAT EVERY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE FILM IS AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME. THIS IS A VERY FUNNY SEND UP OF CLASSIC MYSTERY TROPES AND EVERYONE NAILS THEIR CHARACTER. ELSA LANCHESTER IS A GREAT BIZARRO JAME MARPLE AS IS PETER FALK'S SAM SPADE, JAMES COCO'S HERCULE POIROT AND DAVID NIVEN AND MAGGIE SMITH'S NICK AND NORA CHARLES/ THE SIDEKICKS ARE GREAT TOO ESPECIALLY ESTELLE WINWOOD'S NURSE AND ALEC GUINNESS AND NANCY WALKER ARE SPECTACULAR AS THE BUTLER AND MAID. THE CAST IS SO GOOD AND THE JOKES SO FUNNY THAT THE WHODUNIT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER. IF YOU LOVE CLUE AND CAN HANDLE THE DATED RACISM YOU'LL LIKE THIS  

OH HECK I FORGOT ABOUT ALL THE CAMEOS IN AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON. I LOST IT WHEN I RECOGNIZED RUSS MEYER AS THE VIDEO STORE CLERK. THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY, HOPEFULLY THE NEXT EDITION DOESN'T TAKE AS LONG TO POST