Heh heh heh... I was walking around the mall today looking to buy something for a beautiful young lady, Cora Smith, who's coming down to spend her birthday with us pathetic Austin Geeks, when lo and behold, I found the DELUXE IRON GIANT TOY at the Warner Brothers Store.

I freaked. I have been watching the TRENDMASTER's website hoping to get the drop on the Evil Toy Scum Guys (TM) of the world that usurp cool toys then quadruple the prices and/or sell them on Ebay, thus making toy collecting a very expensive and/or stressful hobby. If there are laws about Ticket Scalping then there damn well ought to be laws about Toy Scalping.

As soon as I got Cora Smith her present (yes dear I didn't forget you) I rushed to the car and as Father Geek drove I began to free my big metal guy from his cardboard and plastic coffin... For all toys suffer a bit of a premature burial till you set them free. Personally, since seeing this movie I've been dying to get this toy. Call me silly... Call me childish.. But damn does this toy rock. I love how BIG this thing is. It's like two and a half feet tall, comes with magnetic Hogarth you can stick in his hand or shoulder. He talks, eyes light up and change and he guards my room from the center of my toy display atop my printer...

I tell ya... I can't wait to see this movie again. It's strange how films work on me. Especially a movie like IRON GIANT. Some folks out there seem to think swag can 'sway' one's opinion of a movie... or make one give out a good review. But ya know what. I don't really get much free studio swag. I don't get them packets of promotional goodies. I go out and buy my own swag. And ya know what... I slapped my $30 down so fast to get my own big metal guy so fast it woulda made your head spin. Just like I'm gonna force everyone I know into that theater opening day. Not because of Warners. Not because of Brad Bird or any other person associated with this movie.

I'm taking all my friends to this one cause... THE IRON GIANT... THE MOVIE.... Is a brilliant animated film that now has a character that's the centerpiece of the most looked at wall of my life. And I tell you... that Joe Johnston design just friggin rocks!