Today we’ve got a new toy review for you courtesy of The Undead Comic. Inside you’ll find his thoughts on Mezco’s CINEMA OF FEAR: Series 2, which is now available at retailers everywhere. The set features new figures of Jason Voorhees, Leatherface and Freddy Kureger. Read on for the review.

MEZCOS CINEMA OF FEAR SERIES 2

I laid off smaller action figs a long time ago figuring I’d spend my money on stuff that gave me more visual bang for the buck. But a funny thing happened on the way to the toy store. Slowly but surely the smaller scale figs have caught up in terms of presentation and number of really interesting iconic characters, poses, and accessories.

I wouldn’t give up my Sideshow Premium Format Exclusive Ash but neither will I part with my Cult Classics Series 4 S-Mart Ash or for that matter my Cult Classics Series 4 Sebastian Haff from Bubba Ho-Tep complete with walker. In other words while I still haven’t bought many of these smaller figures I have started rethinking how “big” I want my collection to get. Once I have a large scale Ash for instance do I ever need another? The nice thing about the Sideshow pose is it’s iconic. The other figs I have like the Evil Ash 12′ and the aforementioned S-Mart have the virtue of complimenting one another in terms of subject matter without taking up a lot of room. Purchase a PF Evil Ash? Maybe but probably not an S-Mart PF. The trick is to get the biggest visual bang out of the truly centrally iconic images of the character and let the rest fill in the gaps.

So which of these Series Two figs distinguish themselves? Somehow Series Two just seemed less fun than Series One but a closer look saw there was a lot to like and at least one if not two absolutely necessary figures to add to my collection.

Of the four my favorite is easily Nancy in the Bath. Fans have waited too long for a Nancy figure of any kind. I recently met Heather Langenkamp at a Con and she was every bit as sweet as you’d expect. The lack of collectables that feature her image is a curiosity. I’d die for a twelve inch figure but this smaller iconic pose is just fine. The scene is instantly memorable for those of us who saw Elm Street during its first theatrical run. Out of all the bath and shower sequences since Psycho this one is the most evocative. Before Freddy became a wise-cracking cross between Don Rickles and the Grim Reaper, he was a foul thoroughly unpleasant child molesting boogeyman, not at all about to let us in on his sick in-joke. All Freddy did in the first film was terrorize the audience and kill his victims and for most of us our initial encounter with him was scary as hell. Literally. And when that knife-fingered hand reached up out of the bath between dozing Nancy’s legs we felt something precious and innocent was in danger and that something evil and twisted was poised to steal something important from our world.

The likeness of Nancy could be better. Where are her bushy eyebrows? For those wanting a peek into the bathwater the lack of anatomical detail will prove disappointing but overall the piece is heads and shoulders above the mostly forgettable Cinema of Horror Screen Grabs that were. 1. too small 2. of obviously lesser quality in terms of sculpt and 3. quickly devalued themselves in the collectors marketplace.

The Bill Johnson Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw 2 is a really great addition to the Cinema of Fear series. For one you’ll want a companion to the Chop Top fig from Series One. But this figure is easily a stand alone for anyone who just likes Leatherface. He’s film specific to TCM 2 from his mask right down to his wild red swirly tie. Acessories include a victims skinned face , extra pieces of skin, an electric knife , cleaver and the chainsaw. TCM 2 is another one of those films that’s been under-valued in terms of collectible availability. Now if only Mezco would make a talking Chop Top that screams “Leatherface, you dog-@#$%!! You bent my blade!!”

Jason here is basically …a mini Jason. He is film specific to Friday the 13th VI: Jason Lives and as such comes with a tombstone, a machete, a spear, a heart and a severed head. Other than that there’s not a whole lot to single this fig out from the slew of others released by other licensees. Freddy? Same thing. Screen specific to the original Elm Street and slightly cartoony in sculpt the figure offers an alternative head and hands and chestplate. Must have? Only for completists.