Chucky actor Ed Gale dead at 61
He was also known for playing the lead character in the 1986 Marvel superhero comedy, Howard the Duck.
His death was announced in a post on Facebook by his niece Kayse Gale, who wrote: 'It is with a heavy heart and a surprisingly light coffin (see what I did there?) that we announce the sudden passing of our uncle, Ed Gale.
'Ed Gale has taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife. Ed hitched a ride to California when he was twenty years old, with $41 and a dream, and he never looked back.
'He lit up the silver screens in cult classic films like Howard the Duck and Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town, earning himself some serious street cred at every con he attended. Which he never stopped bragging about. Ever.
'Over the course of his career he appeared in over 130 movies, TV shows, and commercials. With this wide ranging body of work, he leaves behind legacy full of questionable lighting and amazing one-liners.
'Ed's favorite role was that of the 'fun uncle.' His love language was sharing his love of the entertainment industry and the magic of Hollywood with his nieces.
'Ed loved 7 eleven hotdogs with disgusting amounts of ketchup. He enjoyed reminiscing about his glory days DJing at the Plainwell roller rink. He hated Bill Maher for no good reason. He delighted in the slow build up of telling a good story, and cheating at cribbage. He had one hell of a laugh, and he will be missed.'
Edward Gale was born with dwarfism on August 23, 1963 in Plainwell, Michigan. He attended Plainwell High School.
He made his film debut in Howard the Duck, physically portraying the lead character inside a suit while Chip Zien provided the voice.
In 1988 he performed a similar role for Chucky in slasher movie Child's Play, reprising the role for 1990's Child's Play 2 and 1998's Bride of Chucky.
Other notable roles included playing the dinosaur Tasha in the 1991 television series Land of the Lost, and playing Matthew McConaughey and Gary Oldman's uncle in the 2003 comedy Tiptoes.
His television appearances also included roles in Baywatch, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Just Shoot Me! and My Name is Earl.
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It was selected to screen at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival's Next Program and has since become somewhat of a cult classic, especially among horror fans. Here's where you can find A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. There are so many great LGBTQ+ movies from the 2010s that it can be hard to count. From Pariah to Can You Ever Forgive Me?, lesbian films flourished in the 2010s. Carol is a 2010s lesbian favorite. It is a moving romance film about a love affair between a wealthy married mother and a young photographer. Set in the 1950s, the film explores love, motherhood, homophobia, and the repression of the '50s. Directed by Todd Haynes, Carol stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Writer Phyllis Nagy started writing the project in 1997 based on the 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith. The film, however, was delayed, largely due to studios not believing that audiences would come to see a movie helmed by two women. However, Carol earned six Academy Award nominations and nine BAFTA Award nominations and even grossed over $42 million on an $11 million budget. Here's where you can find Carol. The Artist is one of only a couple of modern silent films. The French film is a love letter to classic Hollywood. It follows the familiar premise of a veteran actor falling for an ingénue as one of their stars fades while the other's rises. Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist stars Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. It was nominated for 10 César Awards and 10 Oscars, winning four. At the Academy Awards, it was the first French film to win Best Picture (and notably not Best International Feature Film). It was only the second mostly silent movie to win in the category (the only other was 1927's Wings, which won at the first Oscars). Dujardin also won for Best Actor, making him the first French actor to do so. It was also a surprise box office hit, grossing $133.4 million against a $15 million budget. It is a joyous and exciting film that doesn't need dialogue to draw the viewer in. Here's where you can find The Artist. Knives Out is an inventive film that feels like a surprising love letter to the mystery genre. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out follows the detective Benoit Blanc as he investigates a dysfunctional family after the apparent suicide of an acclaimed mystery novelist. The film is full of mini-twists and turns, which will keep the watcher reassessing their feelings about the characters and who is in control of the narrative in a really satisfying way. Knives Out stars Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield and Christopher Plummer. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and spawned two sequels: 2022's Glass Onion and the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Here's where you can find Knives Out. The 2010s were a fantastic decade for Korean film, and while The Handmaiden is one of two Korean films that appear on this list, films like Train to Busan or Burning could have easily made this list (and maybe arguably should have). Directed by Park Chan-wook, The Handmaiden is loosely based on the Sarah Waters novel Fingersmith; however, the setting is changed from Victorian Britain to Japanese colonial rule in Korea in the early 1900s. The film follows a con man and a pickpocket who conspire to seduce a wealthy Japanese woman out of her inheritance. It is an entertaining queer thriller that all just really works. Emily St. James wrote in a review for Vox, 'The Handmaiden is a nearly flawless movie. Every frame, every movement of the camera, every performance feels perfectly calibrated for maximum effect.' The film stars Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo and Cho Jin-woong. Here's where you can find The Handmaiden. Mad Max: Fury Road is a part sequel, part reboot to the Mad Max series. Director George Miller had the idea for the film since the late 1980s; however, the film wasn't made until decades after the original trilogy. The film stars Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Keays-Byrne. Mad Max: Fury Road follows the titular Max as he helps Imperator Furiosa smuggle women away from the warlord Immortan Joe. In many ways, the film boils down to a driving movie where the heroes simply drive away, are followed and go back, but it becomes far more interesting through its world-building, post-apocalyptic setting, feminist themes and impressive practical effects. It was nominated for ten Oscars, winning six. Here's where you can find Mad Max: Fury Road. The Grand Budapest Hotel is an embedded narrative about a 1930s luxury European ski resort and a concierge who is falsely accused of murder after inheriting a priceless painting. The film is a fun yet still heartbreaking film that explores fascism, elegance and society. Directed by Wes Anderson, the film features a star-studded ensemble cast with Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson and Tony Revolori. While it was released in March (outside of the usual awards season release timeline), it was nominated for nine Oscars, winning four. Here's where you can find The Grand Budapest Hotel. The 2010s ushered in an era of prestige queer dramas, both internationally and in the U.S. There are many great LGBTQ+ international films that are well worth watching, including France's BPM, the UK's Gods Own Country and Weekend and Brazil's The Way He Looks. However, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is one of the most beautiful on that list. The film is an 18th-century romance between a female portrait painter and an unhappy bride on a small French Island. It is a modern lesbian classic that is heartbreakingly beautiful. Directed by Céline Sciamma, the film explores art, the female gaze and the lives of women. Sciamma is a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to modern queer films. She has directed other must-watch films like Girlhood and Tomboy. However, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is among her most impressive works. The film won the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Here's where you can find Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Get Out was a welcome surprise in the horror/thriller genre. While Jordan Peele has more than made a name for himself in horror with films like Us and Nope, his first entry into the genre and directorial debut is still his most iconic film. The film follows a young black man who goes to his white girlfriend's parents' house for the first time, only to be met with a suspicious plot. Get Out is not only a great thriller but also a critique of White America and Neoliberal politics. The film was both a commercial and critical darling. It grossed $255 million worldwide against a $4.5 million budget (with a $124.3 million net profit). It was also nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Screenplay. Get Out stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, Catherine Keener and Betty Gabriel. Here's where you can find Get Out. Parasite is the rare comedy-thriller from director Bong Joon-Ho. The film follows a low-income family who con their way into working for a wealthy family in Seoul. The film takes inspiration from the iconic 1960s Korean film, The Housemaid. However, it still feels wholly original. It stars Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam and Jang Hye-jin. Parasite is the first Korean film to win an Oscar. It won four Oscars, including Best International Feature Film and Best Feature Film (making it the first film to win both categories). It was also the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It is twisty, complex and a fabulous watch for fans of black comedy. Here's where you can find Parasite. Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight is an essential LGBTQ+ film of the 2010s. The film follows a young man through childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. The coming-of-age drama examines sexuality, identity, manhood, parenthood and the Black experience beautifully. It is a quiet and impactful film with the right amount of heartbreak. The film was the first LGBTQ+ film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, even if it was at the center of a mishap when it came to announcing the winner. It was also nominated for seven other Oscars. The film stars Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe and André Holland. Here's where you can find Moonlight. While it has only been around five years since the end of the decade, the 2010s feel different than the 2020s. It is a decade that opened doors and still feels larger than life. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What Are Great 2010s Horror Movies? The 2010s were a great decade for horror. While the highest-ranked horror film on this list was 2017's Get Out at No. 3, there are so many others that almost made the list. Not including The Babadook might be a bit of a snub. The Australian horror film is an outstanding example of psychological horror. The 2014 film follows a widowed mother and her young son who learn something is living in their basement. Directed by Jennifer Kent, the film stars Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman. It is a cult classic that is a beautiful example of 2010s horror. 2018's Mandy also fell just short of this list. Directed by Panos Cosmatos, the film is about a veteran who hopes to save his girlfriend from becoming a cult sacrifice. It is a strange and surreal film that will not be for everyone, but is wholly unique. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough and Linus Roache. What Are Great 2010s Disney Movies? Disney dominated the 2010s at the box office. Between Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, it was a huge decade for The Mouse. While their superhero films were the most successful, a film that deserves a rewatch is 2011's The Muppets. It was a wonderful return to one of Disney's most beloved franchises. Directed by James Bobin, the film follows two brothers as they hope to reunite the Muppets. The film stars Jason Segel (who also co-wrote the script), Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and Rashida Jones. It is a really joyous and lively film that is easily the best Muppets movie in years. Disney also released several iconic animated films in the decade, including Frozen, Tangled, Moana and Zootopia. However, one of their most celebrated animated films of the decade came from Pixar, 2015's Inside Out. The film follows personified emotions inside a young girl's head. Directed by Pete Docter, it stars Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan. What Are Great 2010s Animated Movies? While the highest-ranked animated film on this list is Coco in the twelfth spot, many animated films from the 2010s could have found a place on this list. 2016's My Life as a Courgette arguably should have made this. The French-Swiss stop motion animation film follows a young boy's life in an orphanage. It is a whimsical and impactful film that was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. 2017's Loving Vincent is another fascinating animated film. Directed by DK and Hugh Welchman, the film is about the death of Vincent Van Gogh. However, it may be more notable for being the 'world's first fully painted film.' It comprises 65,000 frames of oil painting on canvas and took 125 artists six years to complete. What Are Great 2010s Comedy Movies? The 2010s were not a great decade for comedy. While the overall box office did well in the decade, comedy totals sank. In 2009, comedies earned $2.5 billion; by 2018, the genre only earned $1 billion. This number definitely relates to the rise of streaming, but it also feels like the genre didn't flourish like it did in the 2000s. However, there were definitely some bright spots, including 2011's Crazy, Stupid, Love. The film follows a recently divorced man and a slick-talking ladies' man who form an unlikely friendship. It is an unbelievably sweet movie that also features a great twist. Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the film stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. Another wonderful choice is 2017's The Big Sick. Based on the real-life romance between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, the film follows their early relationship as Gordon battles adult-onset Still's Disease. Directed by Michael Showalter, it stars Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan. While the movie received good reviews, it also drew criticism for its depiction of Desi women (something that Nanjiani has since apologized for). For more curated film lists by genre, language and decade, visit our full movies hub.
Vox
5 hours ago
- Vox
If you don't get Labubus, that's the point
is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at The Atlantic. Some creatures only come out at night: vampires, werewolves, and now the latest member of the after-hours club: hopeful Labubu collectors. If you're not already in the know, that last group might feel as mysterious as mythical creatures. It only adds to the toys' mystique that the window when you can officially purchase the mega-popular trinkets — sold in limited drops, like fashion collabs and sneakers — only opens for a brief time on seemingly random nights (usually at 10 pm Eastern). Enthusiasts say that successfully getting your hands on one of the approximately half-foot tall plastic-and-vinyl bunny-eared ghouls with a rictus grin feels like doing the impossible, or at least something more impossible than spending $27.99. With their faces illuminated by the glow of their smartphones, credit card numbers locked in, fingers at the ready to click and add to cart, for Labubu hunters, there is no duty, no bedtime, sometimes no supper — only Labubu. Vox Culture Culture reflects society. Get our best explainers on everything from money to entertainment to what everyone is talking about online. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. According to lore, Labubus are a tribe of mythical female elves called The Monsters that live in Nordic forests. According to Pop Mart, the toy and design company that produces the dolls, Labubus are a character-driven franchise, largely consisting of plushies, figurines, and accessories, that brings in over $400 million in revenue. And according to their most fervent fans — the people who have made Labubu a success in the hundreds of millions of dollars — Labubus are pure joy…if you somehow manage to get your hands on one. If only the other things we spend roughly $30 on could bring us such glee. Yet, many others do not find any delight in that idea. Some assert that the Labubus craze represents capitalism in its latest stage, thanks to a perfect storm of technical uselessness, jacked-up reseller prices, celebrity endorsement, and forced scarcity. Others think the little goblins are aesthetically ominous, even ugly. But that division — and the strong feelings on both sides — might just be exactly how Labubus became such big business. Understanding why some people can't get enough of the toys (and the chase), gives us a window into bigger questions about what makes us happy, what makes us feel in-the-know, and what someone's really buying when they purchase a monster of their own. Hate only makes Labubus stronger When people talk about Labubus, they're likely referring to the mega-popular 'pendant' versions that come with a sewn-on ring that's designed to clip onto bags and belt loops. These sell out in minutes. But if you do get your hands on a Labubu — from one of Pop Mart's limited drops or on the secondhand market at a serious markup — you'll find their bodies are soft, and small enough to fit in a fist. They come in a variety of colors, and often sell as sets. Other pieces in the Labubu line include bigger dolls (retailing for $299), accessories like phone charms, and all types of figurines and plushes. No matter the size or brand collaboration, all Labubu products have one thing in common: They exist to be seen and displayed. Labubus don't actually do anything, which may add to some of the general perplexity surrounding them. 'I've always been drawn to creatures that live in the space between fantasy and reality — characters that feel both familiar and mysterious,' Kasing Lung, the original artist who created Labubu, tells Vox. Growing up in the Netherlands and around Nordic and European folklore, Lung wanted to reflect those inspirations — mischievous, endearing, strange — in Labubu. 'She's not overly detailed or complicated, she has a big smile, wide eyes, and a little bit of mischief in her expression,' Lungs says of his original design. 'Labubu is playful but not perfect — she has sharp teeth, messy fur, and a bit of wild energy. She's cute but also a little weird, a little unpredictable.' The duality of Labubu has turned the playful imp into a bit of a Rorschach test; humans are wired to have a strong reaction when they see a Labubu. Some people feel intense love. Its big eyes and big head are reminiscent of what researchers call 'baby schema,' traits that appear in infants and toddlers that trigger parental synapses, and euphoria in our brains. But no matter how much baby schema Labubu employs and whatever brain receptors they set off, some may still find Labubu unappealing. They have mouths that almost stretch from one end of their faces to the other, which give the toys a sinister edge. They have prominent, protruding brow bones, tiny claws, and sometimes bare their jagged teeth. In combination, these slightly alarming characteristics may explain why some people find them to harbor dark energy. 'They're so cute-ugly,' says Tyler Renner, a man in possession of two Labubus, living in California. Renner, 34, was initially drawn to Labubus, but for a while kept his desire for them a secret. They're divisive, he reasoned. Not everyone understands how something so menacing could come back around to being so adorable. But the more Renner posted his dolls, showing off their custom-made clothes and freaky little faces, the more support he got. He received secretive DMs from closet Labubu-lovers, wanting to know how they could procure their own. Renner and one of his customized Labubus. Courtesy of Tyler Renner Elizabeth Mitchell, a mom from the Washington, DC, area, echoes Renner's so-ugly-it's-cute horseshoe theory and clandestine love affair. 'It's goth meets Hello Kitty,' says Mitchell, who sees her devotion in terms both anthropological and biochemical. 'Either you have the 'Tribe Labubu' brain parasite or you don't.' According to a Pop Mart spokesperson, Labubu tends to be most popular with women between the ages of 18–30. During the current popularity boom, though, Labubu's fan demographic has aged up and its gender appeal has broadened. While children certainly enjoy Labubu and want them, they are probably not the ones logged into Pop Mart's app with credit card security codes at the ready. And because one doesn't really 'play' with Labubus aside from displaying them, possibly in festive outfits, toy designers consider Labubus as much an object of design than a traditional kids' toy. Still though, there are people who might be able to better resist baby schema, who don't succumb to brain parasites, who find them not 'cute-ugly,' but just plain ugly. On TikTok, a corner of the internet brimming with Labubus, Labubu lovers, and Labubu haters, their creepiness is often a popular subject (a sore one for fans). Being so intensely polarizing is what makes Labubus so successful, says Vincent Scala, a toy designer and illustration professor at the School of Visual Arts. If Labubus themselves were ignorable, if the reactions they elicited were simply lukewarm, they wouldn't command such a deep yearning. Some may not care one way or another about the way the dolls look, but simply hate the idea of an unavoidable mania brought on by cute junk. Scala and other experts I spoke with pointed out that Labubus may remind a lot of people (especially millennials and Gen Xers of a certain age) of Tickle Me Elmos, Furbys, and Beanie Babies; toy fads that burned hot and bright and died out just as fast because people got bored with them. These core viral toy memories — coupled with millennials historically preferring experiences over material objects — might elicit an ennui or confusion about the Labubu obsession, if not an outright hostility. 'Furby, I think, is probably the closest — as so many people loved it, just as many people hated it,' Scala says, noting that 'the amount of hatred just sort of feeds into the craze' and that all the attention 'makes people want it more.' One would think that producing something everyone generally wants would be better for business than creating something only some people want. But that misses something important about human desire. Jared Watson, a professor at the NYU Stern School of Business who studies the extensive subject of consumer behavior, attributes part of Labubu's success and its virality to its volatility. If everyone wanted and had a Labubu, the average person would have some kind of idea of its value. But fans and experts say that when buyers push past uncertainties about worth or childishness, they are rewarded with social status, or at least belonging. When complete strangers compliment the Labubu on the street, owners experience a unique kind of joy. 'You don't get the same sort of rush when everyone is in on the secret,' Watson says, comparing it to the euphoria of sharing a love for a new movie, an undersung TV series, or an emerging musician that the general public hasn't hopped on yet. 'But once everybody's there, it's not as exciting anymore.' That mass adoption isn't a problem for Labubus though: Pop Mart has set up the market so they're not so easy to get your hands on. Labubus are like gambling, basically Buying a Labubu requires either a lot of time or a bunch of money. If you're willing to pay more than its retail asking price, you can find $27.99 Pop Mart Labubus on resale sites like Stock X or eBay going for $60, $120, even $280. If you want to purchase them from the parent company, it requires strategy and luck. Pop Mart's checkout process is something of an obstacle course. Go too slow and faster clickers will gobble up the stock. Go too fast and Pop Mart's system might flag you as a reseller bot, like the kind that scoop up all the best concert seats on Ticketmaster. If you make it through the digital gauntlet, you obtain what's known as a blind box — there's a Labubu inside, but you don't know which one is yours until you open it. Those individual blind boxes usually belong to Pop Mart's three main Labubu pendant collections — Sweet Macaron (Labubus are named after desserts and drinks), Have a Seat (Labubus are all in sitting poses), and Big Into Energy (Labubus are named after emotions) — each collection has six different Labubus, and each one has a rare, secret Labubu that appears in 1/72 boxes. That makes for 21 regular attachable Labubu characters in circulation, not counting special series and collaborations (Pop Mart's entire Labubu line is expansive, if not overwhelming). Purchasing a Labubu can allegedly trigger euphoria, and perhaps some of the same risk-reward functions that gambling does. Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images For first-time buyers, this means any box will contain a fun, random surprise, but for collectors, the more Labubus you buy, the more likely you are to end up with duplicates. If you're lucky, though, there's a small chance of scoring the special 'secret,' the plush equivalent of Willy Wonka's golden ticket without any chance of dying at the hands of a maniacal candy tycoon. Some fans will purchase box after box chasing the secret. Carmin Newman believed herself to be one of these lucky people; and indeed she has procured over 30 Labubus since committing herself to the cause. To get the first of her Labubus, Newman researched when new stock would drop. She recruited 'a little team' to converge on the app. Her squad had their clicking fingers ready in the seconds right before Pop Mart's replenishment, and scored a complete set of six, then another, then one more. Yet Newman says she doesn't like any of the Labubus she's obtained. Related After the Beanie Baby bubble burst Labubus are a hit with kids in Newman's neighborhood, and those kids' parents were ready to pay resellers double or more for the little ghouls. That waste activated her. No one was going to spend more than $30 for a Labubu on Newman's watch. 'It's totally a game now,' Newmans tells me, explaining that scoring Labubus feels like winning. The rush of getting one retail and not paying a reseller is, in her eyes, better than actually owning one. She swears her goal is one more set, from one more drop. 'Then I'll be done,' Newman promises, before admitting with a laugh that she might need 'Labubus Anonymous.' Ginger Pennington, a professor at Northwestern University who studies consumer psychology and human motivation, points out that Labubus tap into many of the same psychological and emotional mechanisms that gambling does, from the company-induced scarcity, to the randomness of the blind box, to the instant gratification or disappointment of acquisition. She explains that the drop process and blind boxes actually take advantage of the dopamine hit with a negative outcome. 'Even though it's super, super disappointing,' to not get a Labubu, or to get one you already have, 'it actually doesn't dampen your motivation,' Pennington says. 'It just makes you want to go and try again.' Instead of dwelling on the disappointment — or giving up — collectors focus on the part that felt good. For nearly a decade, we've heard about how millennials have driven an economy that values 'experiences' over 'stuff,' and that doesn't seem to be changing. Perhaps the fact that millennials (and Zoomers) are loving Labubus isn't a contradiction; maybe it's the high of the chase that makes these dolls so desirable. Or maybe it's all about those big baby eyes, the unnerving smile underneath them, and the satisfaction in knowing some people just don't get it. One thing is for sure, Labubus are not for everyone. Pop Mart, to massive profit, is making sure it stays that way.
