Some memorable toys I got for Christmas when I was a kid

This time of year always makes me think about what it was like for me and my brothers growing up in the 80's. The excitement of putting up the tree and hanging decorations (usually done just after my birthday, which is in December), and then picking out what we wanted to get from Santa. Of course, by this point in the month we had long decided on what we wanted, usually helped along by staying up for the national Irish tradition of the Late Late Toy Show (the longest running chat show in Ireland that gets invaded by children for the 'toy show' the last weekend every November), and giving plenty of time for our parents to scramble to get those toys we wanted. Saying that, we were pretty simple in our tastes; usually some action figures, books or cars were what we got, with the more expensive Star Wars toys never seemingly on our radar (my mother had probably the good sense to direct us away from those, her poor wallet!). So, here's a small selection of a few of my favourite toys I received in the 80's; not necessarily the best, but ones that really stuck out in my mind, and I still remember them fondly today.


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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

"Oh, the silent majesty of a winter's morn... the clean, cool chill of the holiday air... an asshole in his bathrobe, emptying a chemical toilet into my sewer..."

It's sad to see what has become of the 'National Lampoon' name these days; it was sold off years ago and is now used pretty much as a 'cash in' only name on poor teen sex movies - a far cry from what was once a highly regarded moniker in American comedy. Having never read the magazine itself, I only have the films to go by, but my childhood wouldn't have been the same without the Griswold's hilariously sad attempts at going on holidays - be it Wallyworld, Europe or Christmas. There was always just something special about the films, the kind of comedy joy that made you tune in every time they were due to show on TV, no matter how often you had seen them. Even though time has dulled the edges on at least one of those films - European Vacation just doesn't hold up very well for me -  Christmas Vacation still gets a screening in this house every year.

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Christmas Evil (1980)

"You'd better take care... Santa is coming to town!"

For horror fans, having seasonal, 'go to' favourites is par for the course, and Christmas happens to have a host of films that fall nicely into the category. Be it genre classics like 'Black Christmas' or 'Gremlins', there's usually something worth putting your hand to that isn't 'It's a Wonderful Life' to get you through the holidays. One of the less sensational 'seasonal slashers' to come out in the early 80's, Christmas Evil hasn't had the best exposure since its release. Between distribution by Troma and falling into public domain, the film has been experienced by most viewers through terrible VHS-ripped box sets, and rarely given much of a chance to shine on its own. Now that it has gotten legit releases in the last few years, just how well does this blood-soaked Santa suit scrub up?

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Late Night Frights: Invaders From Mars (1953)

"The heavens. Once an object of superstition, awe, and fear. Now a vast region for growing knowledge."

Awakened by what is mistaken for a thunderstorm, young David (Jimmy Hunt) makes it to his bedroom window in time to see what looks like a spaceship landing on the hill behind his house. After telling his parents, his scientist father heads out to investigate, only to return the next morning somewhat altered. His personality has become cold and aggressive, and David notices a bloody puncture wound on the back of his neck.

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The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

"Would you look at Lumpy! He's sure grown, huh? And I think his voice is changing."

The buzz for Star Wars in '78 must have still been quite high; no doubt it was still showing in theatres, with kids desperate to catch another glimpse of that George Lucas magic in the days before VHS players allowed them to rent the film or own it for themselves. Then what better way to capitalise on the films success? A TV special, of course. Airing just in time for Thanksgiving, it seemed like not only the perfect way to sell TV advert space, but to reinforce the brand in the young viewers minds. Irregardless of intentions, something went drastically wrong somewhere, and the 'Holiday Special' has gone down in film history as one of the biggest missteps for a well-loved franchise. But is it really that bad? Does it deserve the endless ridicule it gets?

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Arcade classic: Robotron 2084

While playing The Binding of Isaac in a friends recently, the topic quickly jumped to classic dual stick shooters, and how seldom we see them as a mainstream release these days. The concept is simple enough; the player uses one 'stick' to push the character around the screen, in whatever direction you chose, while the other stick is used to control the direction of your shooting. Sounds straight forward, but it required a surprising level of dexterity to control both sticks and stay alive. So let's take a stroll back to 1982, when Williams was still one of the reigning champions of arcade action and have a look at the classic Robotron 2084.

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Inseminoid (1981)

"Somewhere in the Depth of Space ... A Horrific Nightmare is About to Become a Reality."

In the wake of the smash hit, Alien, came a slew of imitators; all with low budgets, but all hoping to get their grubby fingers on some of that sweet, sweet coinage. Like most cash-ins, they mainly lacked the sheer style and imagination that Scott's film carried, and instead focused on the more exploitative aspects. Inseminoid was one of several films that came out during the early 80's that fell into the 'knock-off' category, but does it deserve its scuzzy reputation?

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