Hi Dan, It’s Mel again. When your video got a thousand views, I was impressed. Now, over a hundred thousand viewings later, I’m simply blown away. Once more, I’d like to say Thank You, and also compliment you for your astute take on the fate of Maxx FX. The crystal clear title that you chose for your video makes it plain and simple. I’m amazed that so many of the folks who shared their opinions below could fail to comprehend that. Even though, the morons at Matchbox produced an exceedingly mediocre doll, with a head just like a peanut, and sculpting that was decidedly downhill, Maxx would have survived, and with continuing improvements, might even be still around today. Bottom Line, it was nothing other than the worst marketing decision in toy history, a talking baby doll of Freddy that did him in. Meanwhile, I’d like to clear up clear some of the misconceptions that I see expressed in the comments below, and add a comment of my own. For those who failed to notice that Maxx was created in 1989, which was nearly thirty years ago, I can assure you that any resemblance to our current President is purely a coincidence. On the other hand, to those who saw an echo of Max Headroom, in Maxx FX, you are correct. Although, I never saw the show, I was aware that there was a certain likeness, when I was sculpting Maxx. In fact, one of the images in the slide show on Maxx’s website, pictures him wearing Max Headroom’s sunglasses. Last of all, even though, it won’t win me any friends, I’d like to add: To those, who perceive Maxx as a potential pedophile, did it ever occur to you that these attempts at insightful cleverness might reveal more about the content of your heads than they do about the naive innocence of Maxx FX.
Thank you, Mel, for your vision on this and every toy project you worked on. And thank you for preserving the work that you did up to the release of Maxx FX so the collectors of today could see not just YOUR work on this specific project, but the kind of work that talented creators do for projects all the time that gets diluted and, in many cases, distorted to the point of being nearly unrecognizable for the sake of cost and a lack of understanding by the decision makers about what makes a project truly unique. I'm glad we were able to help get your original vision in front of so many new people who might have been fans that have never had the opportunity to see it before.
@@gagecrawley6223 Agree with that. I grew on the old universal horrors and was fascinated by the effects. I would have loved something like what was originally envisioned. The detail in those original sculpts is stunning.
Oh good, I was afraid I was the only one who saw the Trump thing and felt bad since it was your pet project. It was an incredible idea, and between it and Ghostbusters, probably would have soothed my childhood mind after an incident with my brother. I hope someone picks up the idea and contacts you to do it right
That's a shame. If only they'd started with the classic monsters, and continued to push the FX guy idea, then a later transition to more modern fare might have met with less resistance.
I dunno, I think the core idea was flawed. It'd be really hard for them to keep finding IPs to license, when most toy-friendly IPs had already been turned into product. And if I'm selling a line of branded toys, why would I license out the rights to make a knockoff which would be competing with my toys? Why would I want kids buying a doll that cosplays as my IP, when I could be selling them them real thing? I'm sure they'd have gotten a lot of pushback, once they quit licensing R-rated movies. (seriously WTF?!?) I also suspect some companies might also take issue with how Max breaks kayfabe, so to speak. Not to mention the "Well, I won't have my property appearing alongside that OTHER property" pissing contests which would inevitably break out. (Do you think Disney would be cool with kids playing Mickey vs Freddy? No. No they would not. Although now I kinda wanna.)
@Thomas Pickens I think you really REALLY missed the point that...if the child molestation is omitted....thst means it's not there...right? So...the original Freddy was NOT a child molestor....cause that idea was omitted. Not there. Taken away from his makeup of character. Therefore..we got a NOT m olestor and a YES killer.
@Thomas Pickens well that's the thing. Your opinion isn't wrong. Your opinion is that no one should like a child molester. And you're right. However the FACT is that the o.g. movies don't have Freddy as a molestor. An opinion cannot change facts. You're pinning your opinion on the wrong thing. Now..the reboot where they actually make him out to be a molestor...thats where your opinion belongs. You just gotta learn to admit fault in this instance, realign the aim, THEN shoot
@@gay5152 According to the listing, that's a custom. Not the real thing. I actually heard years ago that the prototypes pictured on the packaging were stolen.
A classic case of "what were they thinking?" with the talking Freddy doll. If it came out today, then yeah, it'd be seen as a jokey item aimed at adults, but the toy buying culture of the 80s wasn't ready for that.
Releasing toys based on R-rated properties was already done before the talking Freddy Krueger doll was released. Kenner released an Alien action figure back in 1979.
@@JimHawkwind03411 the alien falls into the same category as a Dinosaur or a dragon it's essentially a wild animal that the good guy can shoot at and run away from. It's not the same as an omnipotent pedo with a melted face and razor fingers who will torture and kill you the moment you fall asleep
I actually had the max fx Freddy. Got it at big lots when I was a kid. I loved it. The Freddy face looked like Robert England. It was so cool. I miss not having it now. Thanks Toy Galaxy for reminding me of it.
I got mine at big lots too. I can find pieces of it still like a glove or a hat or the freddy head at my folks house but rarely the whole thing at once. I bet my sister has the Max doll somewhere with her old barbies.
I am so glad you did a video on this cancelled line. I've never seen one so in depth on it. I would have LOVED Maxx FX. It really had so much potential. Imagine a series 2: Micheal Myers, Pinhead, Predator, Zombie, Big Foot, Cyclops, Terminator, Goblin...on and on and on it could go. Then you could do superheroes, you could do historical like Ninja, Knights, Vikings, Pirates...and then why not action heroes, dress him up like Bruce Lee, Rambo, John McClane, Indiana Jones, James Bond...the possibilities were nearly endless.
Okay, maybe kids shouldn't be watching actual Nightmare on Elm Street movies, but I see no real harm from a Freddy doll. To a kid, Freddy and Jason are just two more monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein. That's how they seemed to me as a kid. I certainly knew of both long before I saw any of the films. I didn't know the specifics of Freddy's backstory, and I didn't need to know. He was just a mean guy with razors on his glove. And I am never -- and I mean never, ever, ever in a million years -- going to sympathize with the so-called "American Family Association" and its loony leader, the infamous prude and self-appointed censor Rev. Donald Wildmon. That guy is scarier than Freddy.
I was raised on horror, honestly. One of my earliest memories is a biker getting torn apart in the old Dawn of the Dead, and I was 5 adoring the... Admittedly terrible Phantasm movies. It didn't "scar" me, or turn me into a violent sociopath. A lot of what we see about kids and horror, or violence is... A myth. And stuff like kids getting hurt trying to be superman, or in back-yard wrestling is often due to parents doing a poor job teaching kids the difference between reality and fantasy. Ask nearly anyone like me, who was raised on horror and, in my experience, they'll tell you much the same thing. :/ Okay, the rant about a tiny part of your post is over.
@herr haller - Actually, he... Wasn't. Wes Craven's original idea was to make Freddy a child molester, but they scrapped that idea and just made him a serial killer due to some events that were actually happening at the time.
@@TallicaMan1986 - Ah, I never saw the reboot. Though, to be fair, the reboot doesn't really apply to any conversation happening here anyway since it's relatively new by comparison. It's a development well after the fact. :X
@@redjack2629 I mean it was somewhat cannon in 1989 when this toy was released. The first episode of freddy's nightmares the TV series which came out in 1988 had basically said he specifically stalks and abuses children and teenagers in the first episode of it. So it was a known factor of his character long before the reboot. I dunno if it was "official" canon the tv show but I mean....I'd think that might temper people's feelings about giving that doll to there kids either way.
Around the time this figure was released I discovered the 1986 film F/X on cable. It's about a special effects artist who uses his craft.......wait for it.........to fight crime. My 8 year old self was mesmerized by the movie and this figure line as intended would have been perfect for me. I was only 8 years old, but thanks to my parents I knew that movies were just make believe. That spawned my interest in special effects in the first place. I would have thought this was cool as hell back then.
That's a cool concept. It would have defused the childhood fear of movie monsters. I remember watching Army of Darkness with my daughter when she was around six years old. We watched the HD Blu Ray version, specifically because you can see the fishing line used to animate the skeletons and such. She developed an interest in special effects afterward and completely skipped the "monsters under the bed" phase.
My dad was a huge kruger fan and we have both the maxx fx Freddy and talking Freddy still mint in box Always found it odd that matchbox was dealing in figures Nice to get the backstory finally after all these years
@@BronxBastard730 And you're here watching a video about toys just like the rest of us. Just internet trash talk from a nobody wannabe tough guy. Pathetic.
The most distressingly hilarious part of that Freddy doll is that because they were made in the same factory as the Matchbox Peewee Herman doll, sometimes the voice boxes would get switched. Imagine getting a Peewee doll back then(Before his controversies I mean) and then having it growl "PLEASANT DREAMS" when you pulled the string.
I remember getting that at Pic & Save in 1990. It's so amazing to see it again! I had forgotten that it even existed. Awesome video! Thanks for posting!
To be fair, today's Fun Police can be equally or even worse than those from back then. The outrage towards the Black Series Slave Leia proves that parents nowadays still don't understand the concept of toylines for mature/adult collectors.
I loved the 80's horror flicks! I was born in '82 and I used to fall asleep to movies like the Howling series, Nightmare on Elm St., Friday the 13th, and whatever other ones I could. Monster Squad is still an all time favorite! Seriously, I would love to see them relaunch this. Starting back with the old horror monsters all the way to the 90's! Every. Damn. One! Nostalgics, alone, would make it worth it, myself included. What a shame this never got a proper chance. Great video though!
TomTubesYou The Simpson's episode when they went to Australia is still one of my favorites,I about lost it when the Embassy guards rolled up the American flag and ate it!😂😂😂
Great video Dan! This is one of my favorite stories of all time from the world of 80's toys! It's a shame that original line never got released as intended. It may not have sold well even back then, but it would have been AMAZING to own!
I remember hearing somewhere about MaxFX back then (might have been advertised in a magazine) and about the religious group mayhem against Matchbox for it. However shortly thereafter I found a stack of them on the store shelves (Caldors, in NY). Bought two, one still in his box and the other I still have set up on a shelf here. I do recall being a bit ticked that they were canceling the line because that Alien sculpt looked amazing.
Agreed; I remember a 90's cartoon called The Magician that was about a stage magician that had real magical power in the form of making the effects of his on-stage magic tricks actually come true. It was fascinating to me the concept of turning what is usually special effects and camera trickery into actual magic, so a line like this would've appealed to me a bit, especially with my taste in acting, at the time. It sucks that Matchbox decided to embrace the monster and not the man behind it.
Damn those figures looked awesome and that's coming from a guy who was terrified of Freddy, I overcame that fear and bought a 12" Freddy room alarm and a Freddy vs Jason 2 pack from Mcfarlane toys. Keep the great videos coming.
My brother actually had this Maxx FX toy. If I remember right, he got it with tickets at an arcade. He was excited because he loved the Elm Street movies and the whole idea of the toy. I don't really remember how old he was when he got it. But, as kids, we were allowed to rent those movies from out local video store (parents gave permission).
I had that Freddy. It was in a thrift store linked to a local grocery store (Hank's) called Super Center. I was a little kid and never saw the Nightmare On Elm Street movies but I juat thought the figure was cool as hell.
Best unproduced toy line to never happen. Mel is a Genius. These prototypes are pieces of art. They are beautifully sculpted and created with playability for children. I LOVE the Alien. Thank you Mel for the inspiration. I wish they all could have been made. -Steve Dwyer (Madison, WI)
This was a really awesome watch. I actually am looking into buying both the Max FX figure and the talking Freddy Doll and adding them to my collection just for the story you told. Terribly interesting. You earned a subscriber today friend.
Great vid Dan! I have never heard of this line but it sounded awesome. Mel Birnkrant is also the creator of another one of my favorite obscure lines called Animax. Would love an episode on them sometime :)
It's Rollie Tyler from FX: Murder By Illusion in toy form, even down to having an effects van! Actually pretty cool. So strange that the base figure looks like Donald Trump with Max Headroom's haircut! One MAJOR flaw though: so Maxx is inbued with the power of the characters he becomes to fight crime, right? So that means that when he becomes Jason or Freddy, he essentially becomes an undead killer of promiscuous teenagers, or a dead, disfigured child molesting dream dwelling killer........to fight CRIME!? They didn't think that concept through, did they? great figure nonetheless
Love the oddities videos brother! I learn so much from you. Thanks! Seriously though it is getting close to Christmas Dan we need the beard back soon! Lol Bill
I saw this figure, still in the box, being sold at a horror movie convention a few years ago. I had no clue about the toyline and had assumed it was filmmaking related in some way. And, I have to admit, this toy line sounds kinda awesome. Maybe someday we'll see an attempted reboot.
I had one of these floating around in my toy box! I always wonder what was up with this thing. I had the main figure, it was not on head to turn to Freddy, the gloves, everything but the hat. I always thought it was something to do with the movie. I didn't know it was a whole toy line
My mother bought this figure for me at an Ocean State Job Lot, and I couldn't imagine she paid much for it. I cherished this figure for years, until ironically, he was destroyed in a house fire. Thankfully it was only things in storage that burned. The only item out of the lot of debris I was sad about honestly.
When I was a young girl I had a babysitter who would make me watch NOES and tease me with the Freddy doll. I was absolutely terrified, but when I was about 11 or 12 I saw a documentary about how they do different SFX and it took all my fears away. I also fell in love with FX makeup and have been going strong for about 20 years. I wish I would have had that “monster movie” doll, probably would have saved me years of torment.
I seem to remember entire toy lines from movies with a hard r rating being peddled to kids. Aliens, robocop, terminator, and predator all had lots of cool toys, but the movies were graphic as hell. And that was before Tod McFarland started making adult figurines like the infamous tortured souls line, which is definitely not intended for children.
Dan, I had a set of Matchbox action figures that had to be from the 60s or 70s. It was a pair of pirates. One had a peg leg that held a rolled up treasure map. The other had a hook hand chest tattoo and ponytail. Any info on the series?
That had potential, after those they might have gone with other characters such as superhero’s, current movie characters and even pop culture 🤔 Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg 👍🏽✌🏽
I used to have Maxx. It was an interesting oddity, but really did suffer a lot from the Mego-style body. I remember reading about the plans Mel had for the line. It's a real shame it didn't make it to market as intended. Could have been one of the classics.
This toy line, and story idea, seems really cool to me. It's crazy that frigging ROBOCOP toys, with parts that could and did literally start fires, seemed to be a hit.
I actually had this figure. I was a huge horror fan (I had most of the major Universal monster movies by kindergarten), and really dug this figure. However, at 13/14, my toy days were just about over and just having a toy that sat on my shelf seemed dumb at the time so I got rid of it.
What the hell, the premise and motif sounded so cool and promising for a series. It's like Ready Player 1 except with the power of makeup and cinematic special effects.
Reminds me of the pulp novel hero The Avenger. He had a paralyzed face that he could mold into any shape he wanted. Usually he would capture one member of a gang and then disguise himself and infiltrate the gang. Cool storyline that I wish would get a modern take
I don't know if somebody else has mentioned us, but didn't the movie FX come out around this time? I'm surprised they didn't run into trouble with that because in a lot of ways it's a very similar concept.
That big freddy doll talked when you pulled the string on he’s back. At the same time the company made these peewee herman toys with the same gimic. At some point somebody messed up with the voice boxes in the factory and they actually sold peewee dolls that talked with the voice of freddy grooger. Check out Mike mozart in youtube. he has a review of the doll to proof it! (not english, no time to google translate so sorry for typos)
Interesting stuff! Now here's a question, did any company ever make anything from the movie Death Race 2000? I'm surprised today even a small manufacturer hasn't done figures, die cast cars, or model kits? Or maybe they have? Done a bit of a web search, and best I can find is the movie posters so far. Anyone know of anything more anywhere?
when I was little I remember a line fo 8" (maybe) ninjas of all different sorts. Werewolf ninja, spider ninja, dragon ninja ... Anyone have any idea what these might be? I've never been able to find out.
Hi Dan, It’s Mel again.
When your video got a thousand views, I was impressed. Now, over a hundred thousand viewings later, I’m simply blown away. Once more, I’d like to say Thank You, and also compliment you for your astute take on the fate of Maxx FX. The crystal clear title that you chose for your video makes it plain and simple. I’m amazed that so many of the folks who shared their opinions below could fail to comprehend that.
Even though, the morons at Matchbox produced an exceedingly mediocre doll, with a head just like a peanut, and sculpting that was decidedly downhill, Maxx would have survived, and with continuing improvements, might even be still around today. Bottom Line, it was nothing other than the worst marketing decision in toy history, a talking baby doll of Freddy that did him in. Meanwhile, I’d like to clear up clear some of the misconceptions that I see expressed in the comments below, and add a comment of my own.
For those who failed to notice that Maxx was created in 1989, which was nearly thirty years ago, I can assure you that any resemblance to our current President is purely a coincidence. On the other hand, to those who saw an echo of Max Headroom, in Maxx FX, you are correct. Although, I never saw the show, I was aware that there was a certain likeness, when I was sculpting Maxx. In fact, one of the images in the slide show on Maxx’s website, pictures him wearing Max Headroom’s sunglasses.
Last of all, even though, it won’t win me any friends, I’d like to add: To those, who perceive Maxx as a potential pedophile, did it ever occur to you that these attempts at insightful cleverness might reveal more about the content of your heads than they do about the naive innocence of Maxx FX.
Thank you, Mel, for your vision on this and every toy project you worked on.
And thank you for preserving the work that you did up to the release of Maxx FX so the collectors of today could see not just YOUR work on this specific project, but the kind of work that talented creators do for projects all the time that gets diluted and, in many cases, distorted to the point of being nearly unrecognizable for the sake of cost and a lack of understanding by the decision makers about what makes a project truly unique.
I'm glad we were able to help get your original vision in front of so many new people who might have been fans that have never had the opportunity to see it before.
Great reply Mel!!!! -Steve
We seriously need to bring this toy line back!
@@gagecrawley6223 Agree with that. I grew on the old universal horrors and was fascinated by the effects. I would have loved something like what was originally envisioned. The detail in those original sculpts is stunning.
Oh good, I was afraid I was the only one who saw the Trump thing and felt bad since it was your pet project. It was an incredible idea, and between it and Ghostbusters, probably would have soothed my childhood mind after an incident with my brother. I hope someone picks up the idea and contacts you to do it right
That's a shame. If only they'd started with the classic monsters, and continued to push the FX guy idea, then a later transition to more modern fare might have met with less resistance.
And by now we'd be waiting for a live action movie.
Yeah. I don't see any parents being upset by a wolfman or mummy doll being the initial release.
I dunno, I think the core idea was flawed. It'd be really hard for them to keep finding IPs to license, when most toy-friendly IPs had already been turned into product. And if I'm selling a line of branded toys, why would I license out the rights to make a knockoff which would be competing with my toys? Why would I want kids buying a doll that cosplays as my IP, when I could be selling them them real thing? I'm sure they'd have gotten a lot of pushback, once they quit licensing R-rated movies. (seriously WTF?!?)
I also suspect some companies might also take issue with how Max breaks kayfabe, so to speak. Not to mention the "Well, I won't have my property appearing alongside that OTHER property" pissing contests which would inevitably break out.
(Do you think Disney would be cool with kids playing Mickey vs Freddy? No. No they would not. Although now I kinda wanna.)
@@jasonblalock4429 mickey vs Freddy must be a thing
i would even speculate that their toyfair debut may have directly inspired the talking freddy doll which ultimately destroyed them
Kids sleeping with a Freddy Krueger doll is hilariously ironic.
The Dream Master kept the other bad dreams away.
I love you Krueger
@Thomas Pickens I think you really REALLY missed the point that...if the child molestation is omitted....thst means it's not there...right?
So...the original Freddy was NOT a child molestor....cause that idea was omitted. Not there. Taken away from his makeup of character. Therefore..we got a NOT m olestor and a YES killer.
@Thomas Pickens just felt like you needed some clarification. You were way out there. As a fellow human, just wanted to help
@Thomas Pickens well that's the thing. Your opinion isn't wrong. Your opinion is that no one should like a child molester. And you're right.
However the FACT is that the o.g. movies don't have Freddy as a molestor. An opinion cannot change facts.
You're pinning your opinion on the wrong thing.
Now..the reboot where they actually make him out to be a molestor...thats where your opinion belongs.
You just gotta learn to admit fault in this instance, realign the aim, THEN shoot
this explains why i cant find the xenomorph maxx figure, always thought it was super rare, turns out it was never released, thanks for the info
www.ebay.com/itm/1989-MAXX-FX-ALIEN-Figure-Set-Quick-Change-Freddy-like-WOW-Matchbox/311934601919?hash=item48a0c04abf:g:YRAAAOSwFqJWr4lx:rk:1:pf:0
You're welcome.
@@gay5152 Zoinks!!
@@gay5152 According to the listing, that's a custom. Not the real thing. I actually heard years ago that the prototypes pictured on the packaging were stolen.
@waterside i know
Yo!
We need to do a Kickstarter to make this the actual as-intended toy line.
I was thinking the same thing
@ian sutton yes. yes they do.
I would buy the fuck out of these.
"We" a.k.a. "someone else"
I'd donate. I probably wouldn't own the figures but I know a LOT of people who would, so I'd help make it a reality for them.
A classic case of "what were they thinking?" with the talking Freddy doll. If it came out today, then yeah, it'd be seen as a jokey item aimed at adults, but the toy buying culture of the 80s wasn't ready for that.
The use of “what were they thinking” reminded me of the old mike Mozart video about the doll. th-cam.com/video/RtZS1SKtNK4/w-d-xo.html
Releasing toys based on R-rated properties was already done before the talking Freddy Krueger doll was released.
Kenner released an Alien action figure back in 1979.
@@JimHawkwind03411 the alien falls into the same category as a Dinosaur or a dragon it's essentially a wild animal that the good guy can shoot at and run away from. It's not the same as an omnipotent pedo with a melted face and razor fingers who will torture and kill you the moment you fall asleep
And Maxx's haircut makes him look like Max Headroom :D
Larry Bundy Jr i actually have a max headroom video reccomended to me under this video lol
Hello you
Larry Bundy Jr! 😮
You're everywhere
Those articulated hands and that cheesy smile are giving me a strong Robot Chicken vibe as well.
I actually had the max fx Freddy. Got it at big lots when I was a kid. I loved it. The Freddy face looked like Robert England. It was so cool. I miss not having it now. Thanks Toy Galaxy for reminding me of it.
I got mine at big lots too. I can find pieces of it still like a glove or a hat or the freddy head at my folks house but rarely the whole thing at once. I bet my sister has the Max doll somewhere with her old barbies.
I am so glad you did a video on this cancelled line. I've never seen one so in depth on it. I would have LOVED Maxx FX. It really had so much potential. Imagine a series 2: Micheal Myers, Pinhead, Predator, Zombie, Big Foot, Cyclops, Terminator, Goblin...on and on and on it could go. Then you could do superheroes, you could do historical like Ninja, Knights, Vikings, Pirates...and then why not action heroes, dress him up like Bruce Lee, Rambo, John McClane, Indiana Jones, James Bond...the possibilities were nearly endless.
Or maybe characters from sci fi such as a space marine from Warhammer 40k, infantry mobile unit from starship troopers.
Okay, maybe kids shouldn't be watching actual Nightmare on Elm Street movies, but I see no real harm from a Freddy doll. To a kid, Freddy and Jason are just two more monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein. That's how they seemed to me as a kid. I certainly knew of both long before I saw any of the films. I didn't know the specifics of Freddy's backstory, and I didn't need to know. He was just a mean guy with razors on his glove. And I am never -- and I mean never, ever, ever in a million years -- going to sympathize with the so-called "American Family Association" and its loony leader, the infamous prude and self-appointed censor Rev. Donald Wildmon. That guy is scarier than Freddy.
I was raised on horror, honestly. One of my earliest memories is a biker getting torn apart in the old Dawn of the Dead, and I was 5 adoring the... Admittedly terrible Phantasm movies. It didn't "scar" me, or turn me into a violent sociopath. A lot of what we see about kids and horror, or violence is... A myth. And stuff like kids getting hurt trying to be superman, or in back-yard wrestling is often due to parents doing a poor job teaching kids the difference between reality and fantasy. Ask nearly anyone like me, who was raised on horror and, in my experience, they'll tell you much the same thing. :/
Okay, the rant about a tiny part of your post is over.
@herr haller - Actually, he... Wasn't. Wes Craven's original idea was to make Freddy a child molester, but they scrapped that idea and just made him a serial killer due to some events that were actually happening at the time.
Red Jack then it has sorta become official since the latest nightmare on elmstreet movies.
@@TallicaMan1986 - Ah, I never saw the reboot. Though, to be fair, the reboot doesn't really apply to any conversation happening here anyway since it's relatively new by comparison. It's a development well after the fact. :X
@@redjack2629 I mean it was somewhat cannon in 1989 when this toy was released. The first episode of freddy's nightmares the TV series which came out in 1988 had basically said he specifically stalks and abuses children and teenagers in the first episode of it. So it was a known factor of his character long before the reboot. I dunno if it was "official" canon the tv show but I mean....I'd think that might temper people's feelings about giving that doll to there kids either way.
Such a damn shame. Mel Birnkrant's prototypes looked amazing.
Around the time this figure was released I discovered the 1986 film F/X on cable. It's about a special effects artist who uses his craft.......wait for it.........to fight crime. My 8 year old self was mesmerized by the movie and this figure line as intended would have been perfect for me. I was only 8 years old, but thanks to my parents I knew that movies were just make believe. That spawned my interest in special effects in the first place. I would have thought this was cool as hell back then.
My parents had fx 1 and fx 2 on vhs. The clown was creepy in part 2.
along a similar vain was the dark man series. Doctor with sever burns uses masks made of synthetic skin to take down bad guys.
That's a cool concept. It would have defused the childhood fear of movie monsters. I remember watching Army of Darkness with my daughter when she was around six years old. We watched the HD Blu Ray version, specifically because you can see the fishing line used to animate the skeletons and such. She developed an interest in special effects afterward and completely skipped the "monsters under the bed" phase.
The creator actually said that was somewhat part of the intention.
My dad was a huge kruger fan and we have both the maxx fx Freddy and talking Freddy still mint in box
Always found it odd that matchbox was dealing in figures
Nice to get the backstory finally after all these years
I kind of like those MAX FX monster designs, especially the Wolfman and the Mummy. Pity the line didn't take off.
what a sad story, those figures looked so cool
How old are you ? If your older than 10yrs then the phase "those figures look so cool" should never leave your mouth
@@BronxBastard730 don't be a asshole.
Those figures do look pretty kool man🖖👍
@@BronxBastard730 And you're here watching a video about toys just like the rest of us. Just internet trash talk from a nobody wannabe tough guy. Pathetic.
@@BronxBastard730 says the guy with the marvel comics villain username
The most distressingly hilarious part of that Freddy doll is that because they were made in the same factory as the Matchbox Peewee Herman doll, sometimes the voice boxes would get switched.
Imagine getting a Peewee doll back then(Before his controversies I mean) and then having it growl "PLEASANT DREAMS" when you pulled the string.
I still have my Maxx. Still in the box. I also still have the talking Freddy boxed as well. My kids get a kick out of 'em. Great video!
Your kids get a kick out of boxed figures? Wow, they must love the pet rock you gave them too..
I remember getting that at Pic & Save in 1990. It's so amazing to see it again! I had forgotten that it even existed. Awesome video! Thanks for posting!
I owned comic book stores in the 80's 90's. The figure ended up being sold to us through comic book distributors and sold really well for us.
Letter writing campaigns...literally the fun police
And those people are probably the same ones that say our generation is too sensitive.
Then is was the religious conservatives, today its the politically correct religious liberals
To be fair, today's Fun Police can be equally or even worse than those from back then. The outrage towards the Black Series Slave Leia proves that parents nowadays still don't understand the concept of toylines for mature/adult collectors.
@@jeenkzk5919 to be fair Tipper Gore (Al's wife) was a huge anti-everything fun, think of the children, meddler back in the 80s.
One of these is not like the other
Just thinking about why 1988ish was that Freddy's Nightmares was on TV at the time. I remember watching it every Saturday night.
I bought that Maxx FX figure at a closeout store in 89-90. That explains why I could never find anything else related to it after that.
As an 80s kid myself we were all aware of these rated R movie monsters like Jason and Freddy. Hell there was a Friday the 13th NES game.
There was a Nightmare on Elm Street one too.
Can’t believe how interesting these episodes are. So glad I found this channel!
I loved the 80's horror flicks! I was born in '82 and I used to fall asleep to movies like the Howling series, Nightmare on Elm St., Friday the 13th, and whatever other ones I could. Monster Squad is still an all time favorite!
Seriously, I would love to see them relaunch this. Starting back with the old horror monsters all the way to the 90's! Every. Damn. One! Nostalgics, alone, would make it worth it, myself included. What a shame this never got a proper chance.
Great video though!
The base figure looks like Adam Conover. Except this time it was Matchbox who ruined everything
TomTubesYou "YOU SOLD US OUT,MATCHBOX!!!"😃😃😃( I love you,Homer.)
@@zachmcmillan4060 I can't believe I actually got that joke. Well done.
TomTubesYou The Simpson's episode when they went to Australia is still one of my favorites,I about lost it when the Embassy guards rolled up the American flag and ate it!😂😂😂
Great video Dan! This is one of my favorite stories of all time from the world of 80's toys! It's a shame that original line never got released as intended. It may not have sold well even back then, but it would have been AMAZING to own!
I can't tell which series I enjoy more, the "History Of" or the "Oddities". Either way, please keep it up. Great content.
Dude what a deep dive on this "line" bravo great video.
I remember hearing somewhere about MaxFX back then (might have been advertised in a magazine) and about the religious group mayhem against Matchbox for it. However shortly thereafter I found a stack of them on the store shelves (Caldors, in NY). Bought two, one still in his box and the other I still have set up on a shelf here. I do recall being a bit ticked that they were canceling the line because that Alien sculpt looked amazing.
This could have been so great. I would have loved these.
This is similar to the japanese gi joe that had a Godzilla and Ultra costumes
Imagine the Tie-ins that coulda come from this. Bloody Roar, Mortal Kombat, How to train your dragon, I dunno.
Maxx FX sounds like a real cool thing
Agreed; I remember a 90's cartoon called The Magician that was about a stage magician that had real magical power in the form of making the effects of his on-stage magic tricks actually come true. It was fascinating to me the concept of turning what is usually special effects and camera trickery into actual magic, so a line like this would've appealed to me a bit, especially with my taste in acting, at the time. It sucks that Matchbox decided to embrace the monster and not the man behind it.
I feel like this has some tangential relation to the movies FX and FX2, which were about special effects wizard guys that also fought bad guys.
I had this toy. It was awesome and well put together.
Damn those figures looked awesome and that's coming from a guy who was terrified of Freddy, I overcame that fear and bought a 12" Freddy room alarm and a Freddy vs Jason 2 pack from Mcfarlane toys. Keep the great videos coming.
Love these mini documentaries about toys, keep up the good work.
My brother actually had this Maxx FX toy. If I remember right, he got it with tickets at an arcade. He was excited because he loved the Elm Street movies and the whole idea of the toy.
I don't really remember how old he was when he got it. But, as kids, we were allowed to rent those movies from out local video store (parents gave permission).
I absolutely loved this video. Thanks for being our goto on action figure history!
I had that Freddy. It was in a thrift store linked to a local grocery store (Hank's) called Super Center. I was a little kid and never saw the Nightmare On Elm Street movies but I juat thought the figure was cool as hell.
That Xenomorph look looks badass
These figures were beautiful!! I wish that they had been made, I would totally collect these, now.
Best unproduced toy line to never happen. Mel is a Genius. These prototypes are pieces of art. They are beautifully sculpted and created with playability for children. I LOVE the Alien. Thank you Mel for the inspiration. I wish they all could have been made. -Steve Dwyer (Madison, WI)
At least the Outer Spacemen franchise is getting some love still with new toys.
Max FX sounds like an awesome toy line with a passionate background. Really wish it came into fruition
"You can't make mature and graphic characters into toys for kids!"
Kenner: "....You sure?"
You keep saying Max Miracle and all I can think of "Miracle Max" from Princess Bride
This was a really awesome watch. I actually am looking into buying both the Max FX figure and the talking Freddy Doll and adding them to my collection just for the story you told. Terribly interesting. You earned a subscriber today friend.
Great vid Dan! I have never heard of this line but it sounded awesome. Mel Birnkrant is also the creator of another one of my favorite obscure lines called Animax. Would love an episode on them sometime :)
The 8-inch Mego figures they got their hands on must have been from the Action Jackson line.
It's Rollie Tyler from FX: Murder By Illusion in toy form, even down to having an effects van! Actually pretty cool. So strange that the base figure looks like Donald Trump with Max Headroom's haircut! One MAJOR flaw though: so Maxx is inbued with the power of the characters he becomes to fight crime, right? So that means that when he becomes Jason or Freddy, he essentially becomes an undead killer of promiscuous teenagers, or a dead, disfigured child molesting dream dwelling killer........to fight CRIME!? They didn't think that concept through, did they? great figure nonetheless
Wolf man has nards.
My name is Horace!
@@kevinthomas4239 I'm in the God damn club, aren't i?
Dope line
He does knot...
😂
👏👍
Excellent video here! Glad you chose to do this one. I owned that Maxx FX Freddy many years ago and thought it was cool.
This is heartbreaking. Such a great story with a perfect gimmick workaround to direct horror figures at kids. What a shame.
This was seriously fantastic!
Love these history videos. Great job guys.
I remember being a kid and seeing the Maxx Freddy figure on clearance for cheap and begging my mom to buy it. She did not and I’m still sad about it.
Love the oddities videos brother! I learn so much from you. Thanks!
Seriously though it is getting close to Christmas Dan we need the beard back soon! Lol
Bill
I wish the Xenomorph was made instead...
Man, this sounds like a great idea! Somebody needs to reboot this
Man, I love these Oddities videos
I saw this figure, still in the box, being sold at a horror movie convention a few years ago. I had no clue about the toyline and had assumed it was filmmaking related in some way. And, I have to admit, this toy line sounds kinda awesome. Maybe someday we'll see an attempted reboot.
Oddities, my favorite!
I had many movie monsters as a kind. Maniac from Scream, Freddy, Jason , T- 1000, Alien, Predator and really enjoyed playing with them.
Great video! The original concepts for the line looked really interesting, I would have loved the werewolf and gatorman figs.
I had one of these floating around in my toy box! I always wonder what was up with this thing. I had the main figure, it was not on head to turn to Freddy, the gloves, everything but the hat. I always thought it was something to do with the movie. I didn't know it was a whole toy line
My mother bought this figure for me at an Ocean State Job Lot, and I couldn't imagine she paid much for it. I cherished this figure for years, until ironically, he was destroyed in a house fire. Thankfully it was only things in storage that burned. The only item out of the lot of debris I was sad about honestly.
When I was a young girl I had a babysitter who would make me watch NOES and tease me with the Freddy doll. I was absolutely terrified, but when I was about 11 or 12 I saw a documentary about how they do different SFX and it took all my fears away. I also fell in love with FX makeup and have been going strong for about 20 years. I wish I would have had that “monster movie” doll, probably would have saved me years of torment.
It was strange how Matchbox was determined to make toys unrelated to cars. My Precious Puffs has to be among the most bizarre failures.
Kids may not have been intended to see those movies, but that didn't stop me from renting them from my local video store behind my parents back.
Loved them! I sold my MaxxFX Freddy for ~$175 on eBay last year. Now I miss him.
Man, that really sucks. Those things looked amazing!
Great video as always.
Thanks.
I never knew, I have the Freddy boxed, and loose.
No wander I never found the others in the toyline.
Oddities is one of Toy Galaxy’s best shows along with, well, ALL the other shows.
I seem to remember entire toy lines from movies with a hard r rating being peddled to kids. Aliens, robocop, terminator, and predator all had lots of cool toys, but the movies were graphic as hell. And that was before Tod McFarland started making adult figurines like the infamous tortured souls line, which is definitely not intended for children.
Lets be honest. Even if this line was made as the original designer intended, it would still have bombed.
Dan, I had a set of Matchbox action figures that had to be from the 60s or 70s. It was a pair of pirates. One had a peg leg that held a rolled up treasure map. The other had a hook hand chest tattoo and ponytail. Any info on the series?
MATCHBOX FIGHTING FURIES CAPT. PEG-LEG PIRATE ACTION FIGURE DOLL .....I looked this up for you ....
I saw one of these for sale at the Harrisburg PA 2nd and Charles today.
That had potential, after those they might have gone with other characters such as superhero’s, current movie characters and even pop culture 🤔
Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg 👍🏽✌🏽
The failed forerunner of today's Funko Pops.
I used to have Maxx. It was an interesting oddity, but really did suffer a lot from the Mego-style body.
I remember reading about the plans Mel had for the line. It's a real shame it didn't make it to market as intended. Could have been one of the classics.
This toy line, and story idea, seems really cool to me. It's crazy that frigging ROBOCOP toys, with parts that could and did literally start fires, seemed to be a hit.
I actually had this figure. I was a huge horror fan (I had most of the major Universal monster movies by kindergarten), and really dug this figure. However, at 13/14, my toy days were just about over and just having a toy that sat on my shelf seemed dumb at the time so I got rid of it.
I Didn’t even know this toy line existed! Great to see stuff like these!
What the hell, the premise and motif sounded so cool and promising for a series. It's like Ready Player 1 except with the power of makeup and cinematic special effects.
Reminds me of the pulp novel hero The Avenger. He had a paralyzed face that he could mold into any shape he wanted. Usually he would capture one member of a gang and then disguise himself and infiltrate the gang. Cool storyline that I wish would get a modern take
This guy had some kick ass powers! If this had made it off the ground then Max could have maybe gone on to anime!
I don't know if somebody else has mentioned us, but didn't the movie FX come out around this time? I'm surprised they didn't run into trouble with that because in a lot of ways it's a very similar concept.
They look awesome! I've never heard of them before this.
That big freddy doll talked when you pulled the string on he’s back. At the same time the company made these peewee herman toys with the same gimic. At some point somebody messed up with the voice boxes in the factory and they actually sold peewee dolls that talked with the voice of freddy grooger. Check out Mike mozart in youtube. he has a review of the doll to proof it! (not english, no time to google translate so sorry for typos)
This is on my bucket list of collecting.
And here I thought I was the only one who had heard of Max Fox! I came so close to getting that doll. I loved horror movies then & now.
Interesting stuff! Now here's a question, did any company ever make anything from the movie Death Race 2000? I'm surprised today even a small manufacturer hasn't done figures, die cast cars, or model kits? Or maybe they have? Done a bit of a web search, and best I can find is the movie posters so far. Anyone know of anything more anywhere?
I had this figure; I got him in New Jersey when I visited my Aunt and Uncle.
I want a Rocky Dennis Maxx FX figure.
Birnkrant is a genius. I adore his Outer Space Men designs.
I still have my talking Freddy doll. I got it as soon as it came out. I was 8. Loved the horror movies then and still do.
I feel like if this were released today it would do well
I’ve watched quite a few films involving two guys with a movie camera driving around in their windowless van.
when I was little I remember a line fo 8" (maybe) ninjas of all different sorts. Werewolf ninja, spider ninja, dragon ninja ... Anyone have any idea what these might be? I've never been able to find out.
I really wanted one of those 18” Freddys when I was a kid. I still do. Lol
Jean-Paul Gauvin I had the Freddy doll back when I was little