The recent release of the hatless needle finger Freddy Krueger Pop! got me to thinking about other horror movie scenes that would look great recreated in toy form, Funko or otherwise. Some of the ones I mention may have already been immortalized in plastic, and, if so, I will give credit.
ENTER NECA: I wrote a column a while back about the potential Funko was missing out on with their horror line and the variants that could be made. They obviously already realized this and were hard at work on this Freddy. I think the mold for this Freddy is much better than the original Pop!, so I’m glad Funko is going back and revamping some of their older designs. "Needle-finger Freddy" is a step in the right direction, but I can see where certain poses may be difficult for them. One Freddy Krueger pose that Funko would probably have trouble recreating is the long arm Freddy from the first movie. This is an iconic moment for Freddy, because at this point in the movie you really have no idea what this guy is capable of. He’s just a crazy freak who can make his arms double in length. Well, he also haunts dreams, but the first time watching this viewers don’t understand what or who he is. Funko hasn’t done this, but NECA has. I haven’t really collected anything other than Funko, so I’m shocked at how detailed this guy is. He looks like a real miniature Freddy, however disconcerting that may be. The sweater is nice and dirty, while his face oozes malice. This is by far the best Freddy Krueger figure I have ever come across. Doing research for this article is going to hurt my wallet! Oh, and the skeleton Freddy face comes with this figure. It just gets better and better. Two iconic Freddy figures in one!
I could literally write a whole column on Freddy scenes and figures, so let’s move on to one of his adversaries. As a slasher I enjoy Jason Voorhees more than Freddy, but his figures and variants don’t match Freddy’s. Freddy does so many more interesting things, obviously because he’s almost always in a dream, so toy manufacturers can do so much more with him. Funko recently released unmasked Jason as a SDCC exclusive. He was one of the more popular Pop!s figures from SDCC, and I still can’t find him for a reasonable price. While Jason variants may be bland compared to Freddy, I do think putting Jason in his various outfits would do well. NECA is making what they call the Friday the 13th: Jason Lives Ultimate Action Figure. I didn’t realize I even wanted this until I saw the figure. This guy is modeled after the Jason from the sixth movie, and in addition to the figure, the package includes a removable mask, a machete and knife that both fit in sheaths on his belt, the fence post that brought him back to life (well, as alive as he can be), and his tombstone. As is the Freddy NECA figure I mentioned earlier, Jason is wonderfully sculpted and his outfit is spot on in regards to Jason Lives. While I do enjoy that you can remove the mask, I think the addition of the fence post is what really makes this figure to me. You can pose him just like he was in the movie. I can certainly see Funko making some Jason figures with various weapons. Repaint the figure and add a different weapon and Funko would have a hit on their hands. While Jason is probably the most popular Funko Pop! in the horror line, Regan deserves a mention.
Regan from The Exorcist is a recently released Pop!. She has scratches all over her, restraints on her wrists, demonic eyes, and, of course, pea soup. She’s a spectacular Pop!. As I’ve said before, the longer Funko makes these the better they get. This is why I think they can pull something off even more challenging. In my opinion, the most disturbing scene in the whole movie is the Regan spider walk. Any Pop! horror fan would love to put that on their demonic shelf. NECA, of course, has done this already. Keep in mind that I only collect Funko, so I know almost nothing about other toy companies. Saying that, NECA really seems to have the market cornered on detailed horror figures. This package includes the staircase and disjointed Regan making an awful face. Writing this article has made me a big NECA fan. I may have to start adding some to my collection along with my Pop!s.
One aspect of horror that Funko has not touched is the remakes. All of their Pop!s have typically been the classic characters. Many of us don’t like the remakes, but you can’t argue that the character designs would make some great figures. Well, technically the Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning isn’t from a remake, but the design is a far departure from the Leatherface we all know. The Leatherface design that most of us know is a great one, but if you don’t know the story and the context in which the character is used he almost looks silly. Sure he’s creepier than Chuck E. Cheese after you know what’s going on with him, but the Leatherface from The Beginning looks plain nasty. This is the guy who is going to carve you up like a piece of beef and eat you. He’s the human butcher. The NECA figure has this on full display, along with a decapitated head, a bloody chainsaw, and various other tools for dismemberment. Maybe the reason Funko doesn’t make this guy is because he just isn’t cute, and no one can make him that way. They did make Reagan and Pinhead look presentable though, so those magicians can probably make this guy look as friendly as Sesame Street.
Maybe it’s the Halloween talking but I’ve been obsessed with horror lately. I’m happy I did this article, because after doing the research for it I now have a new line to collect. I actually ordered four NECA figures while writing this article. I am now the proud owner of NES Freddy, Ultimate Freddy, Jason from Jason Lives, and the 40th Anniversary Leatherface. I can’t wait until these guys come in. I also see they make some pretty sweet Predator figures, so I may be on the hunt soon!
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