New Upper Deck cards on the way

With the NBA draft Thursday, Upper Deck has already made plans to release a new set of basketball cards which will contain the rookies of many of the players selected. Here is a news release for the new product that will hit hobby stores in Tifton sometime next month.

Slam-DunkCity: Upper Deck to Produce Draft Edition

Basketball Trading Card Set Releasing in July



Many of this year’s top lottery picks as well as Kobe, LeBron and MJ will have special autographed inserts sprinkled throughout product



North Las Vegas, NV (June 26, 2008)– The Upper Deck Company will be releasing an impressive Draft Edition Basketball trading card set in July, one in which many of this year’s top lottery picks will be appearing complete with autographed inserts. Several of the top players selected during yesterday’s 2009 NBA Draft will be featured in the set including James Harden, the No. 3 pick overall; Ricky Rubio, No. 5; Jonny Flynn, No. 6; and Stephen Curry, No. 7.



“We are very exited about this set,” said Brandon Miller, Upper Deck’s Basketball brand manager. “Collectors always expect great basketball cards from Upper Deck and this collection will include a great mix of players past and present, and a terrific amount of autograph cards from some of the league’s best talent.”



Beyond the inclusion of several of this weekend’s top NBA Draft picks, the 133-card overall set will also include Upper Deck’s “Big Three” of exclusive basketball spokesmen: Kobe Bryant of the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers; reigning league MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and soon-to-be-inducted Basketball Hall of Fame nominee Michael Jordan who earned six NBA titles during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. All three spokesmen will have autographed cards appearing in Draft Edition’s “Alma Mater” insert collection. Other basketball greats who will be appearing in this set include Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. What’s more, even golf sensation Tiger Woods will have a card inside the Alma Mater lineup.



Upper Deck’s 2009-10 NBA Draft Edition set is scheduled to land on store shelves July 28.

Let's see if I have anyone reading these blogs

As you know I love pro wrestling. I received three new DVDs this week to review. However, I saw one of the pay per view DVDs, 2009 Backlash, already.
That show was excellent with a lot of great matches. I especially loved the ending of the Matt Hardy-Jeff Hardy match.
Since I have already witnessed Backlash, I am going to give it away.
The first person to e-mail me at steve.carter@gaflnews.com and say hi I want the Backlash DVD can have it.
The other two DVDs I received this week was for Judgement Day and a DVD on the great tag teams — Allied Powers: The World's Greatest Tag Teams. I will talk about them when I get a chance to watch them this weekend.

Halloween Horror Nights coming shortly

I told you I was going to use my blog to try to keep you informed on things that I think you would enjoy.
Even though I am not a big fan of horror movies, I went to Universal Studios in Orlando several years ago for the Halloween Horror Nights. I am the first to admit I am too chicken to have go into the haunted houses, but I enjoyed the atmosphere tremendously.
This year's HHN will feature three horror movie icons, Jigsaw from the SAW movies, Chucky and The Wolfman. The following is a news release on the details.

June 25, 2009 RIPPED FROM THE SILVER SCREEN: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT’S HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 19 TO BRING MODERN DAY HORROR FILMS TO LIFE

Experience to Feature Upcoming Release and Hugely Popular Horror Series

The Wolfman, Jigsaw and Chucky Will Wreak Havoc at Nation’s Most Frightening Halloween Event

Event Tickets, Vacation Package On Sale Now

ORLANDO, FL (June 25, 2009) – For the first time ever, guests at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights will live a mega-horror movie before it even hits the big screen. They will also experience two modern day blockbuster horror franchises as Universal Orlando devotes its entire Halloween Horror Nights event to bringing horror films to life.

Universal Orlando is partnering with Universal Pictures to bring one of the year’s most highly anticipated films, “The Wolfman,” to life so guests can experience it firsthand before it hits theaters on November 6. It is also partnering with Lionsgate® and Twisted Pictures to bring the most profitable horror franchise, “SAW,” to Halloween Horror Nights 19: Ripped From the Silver Screen. Universal Orlando is also using its partnership with Universal Pictures to bring the popular “Chucky” film series to life at the event as well.

Lionsgate is expected to release the sixth installment of the powerhouse franchise in theatres nationwide on October 23rd in its traditional opening weekend slot leading into Halloween; the “Chucky” films have become a favorite among horror film and pop culture enthusiasts.

Never before has Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights featured such a catalog of horror. Everyone knows these films. And now everyone will get to live them in person. Guests will experience the physical and psychological horror that Jigsaw, Chucky and The Wolfman have inflicted on the silver screen. They will become victim to the mental games of “SAW’s” maniacal killer Jigsaw. They will come face to face with “Chucky’s” wrath. And they will be there as “The Wolfman’s” alter-ego, Lawrence Talbot, discovers a primal side of himself he didn’t know existed.

“Halloween Horror Nights is the perfect launch for ‘The Wolfman,’” says the film’s producer Scott Stuber. “The horror audience is one of the most enthusiastic and loyal so we are so pleased they are experiencing it first at Halloween Horror Nights.”

“Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights provides a unique platform which allows horror fans to experience Jigsaw’s terrifying labyrinth firsthand. Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures couldn’t have asked for better partners to bring the world of SAW to life,” said SAW producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Twisted Pictures.

From house and character design to costuming and prosthetics, work is already underway on this year’s event. Additional details will be revealed leading up to opening night of Halloween Horror Nights 19. A SAW attraction will also be included in the Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Hollywood.

“We have an exciting opportunity to bring our guests into the world of some of the most popular horror films,” said Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort. “If you thought you were scared watching these movies, wait until you experience this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.”

For 23 select nights this fall, modern horror films are “Ripped from the Silver Screen” to frighten guests at what promises to be the most feared Halloween Horror Nights ever. Other horror films and characters from the movies, including completely re-imagined Frankenstein and Dracula concepts, will also be integrated into this year’s event.

Halloween Horror Nights 19 will feature all-new horrifying haunted houses, inescapable and chilling scarezones, live shows and hundreds of frightening “scare-actors.” Event dates are September 25-26, October 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 21-25 and 28-31.

Tickets and vacation packages for the event are on sale now. Regular admission to any night of the event is $69.99 plus tax. Guests can purchase tickets at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com or by calling 1-888-467-7677 (HORROR-7). Because of the event’s popularity, tickets for weekend nights are expected to sell out and should be purchased well in advance.

The Gory Getaway Vacation Package includes two-night hotel accommodations at an Orlando area hotel, one 1-Day/2-Park theme park admission and Halloween Horror Nights Combo ticket, one 5x7 souvenir photograph and free access to select live entertainment at Universal CityWalk. The Gory Getaway Vacation Package begins at $228 per adult, and rates are also available at the world-class on-site Loews hotels. The Gory Getaway package can be booked online at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com or by calling 1-888-467-7677 (HORROR-7).

Let me know if you go :-)

feeling a little sad tonight

Two symbols of my childhood passed away today — Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
I knew of Farrah Fawcett when I was a young boy, because she was very popular when I first discovered girls. My family loved Charlie's Angels, and I discovered her early on.
I remember finding out she was married to Lee Majors aka The Six Million Dollar Man, and that made her even more special as I thought that made her even cooler.
As I grew older I realized she was more than just a pretty face and a great head of hair, she could also act. I always had a crush on her, even as I grew older, and that will always continue.
While unfortunately most folks think of the child molestation charges when they think of Michael Jackson, I think of my daddy and I watching him way back in 1983 performing Billie Jean on the Motown 25 special. I still get goose bumps thinking of watching him moonwalk for the first time that night.
My daddy was also a big fan, as I remember him excited because (if I remember right, CBS) premiering the music video for BAD, and my daddy saying, "Michael has another hit on his hands."
By the way, my daddy was a very hip guy. He took me to see Huey Lewis in Albany for my 16th birthday, after all.
Anyway God bless Farrah and Michael. I am glad to have been blessed to have witnessed your talents during my lifetime.

Some reviews

as promised, here is some reviews as I begin a new thing on my blog.

I know a lot of you like wrestling. You need to check out the Wrestlemania 25 DVD.
The match between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels would be the worth the price of the entire DVD. These two veterans put on probably a 30-minute show that has to be seen to believe. If you like the show and art of professional wrestling, these two made Wrestlemania an event in itself.
I also enjoyed the Money in the Bank match, as well as the three-way match between John Cena, Edge and Big Show. Cena performs a feat of strength that would draw a "WOW!" even from those of you who don't love 'rasslin.
With Father's Day here, the Randy Savage DVD is also special. There are several matches from the 80s, that I remember watching with my daddy. We were big fans of the Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth.
Maria and Matt Stryker's commentary between the matches is also quite good.
You can purchase both DVDs at any store in the area that sell wrestling DVDs. If your store doesn't, ask why?

On the movie front, I went to see "UP" with my sister, niece and nephew this week.
It is a very sweet story of how you are never too old to start life anew. There are a lot of cool moments for young and old alike.
There is some romance in it at the very start, adventure in the middle and adventure at the end. Throughout there is also a lot of love.
Just one thing if you have a fear of heights, there are some scenes even for a cartoon that will take your breath away.
UP is still playing at the Cinema 6 here in Tifton.
Transformers 2 will be here Wednesday, I will talk more about that later in the week.

I hope to have some information on new Upper Deck trading cards, as well as some new Topps releases as well, coming shortly.