Let’s get this out of the way first; while I do own two Funko Pops figures (Joey Ramone and, in a signed box, John Waters) in my frighteningly extensive toy collection, I am not a fan of the seemingly omnipresent line. Call me a fuddy-duddy, call me old-fashioned, but I like my collectible figures to look as close to their subject as possible, and the cutesy “chibi” style of Pops–with their oversized heads, black circle eyes, and usually missing mouth–just isn’t my cup of tea.
That being said, I am continually amazed at the breadth of pop culture properties the company has managed to license and produce. Funko’s cornucopia of characters spans the universes of animation, comics, pro wrestling, music, TV, and, of course, films. Movie buffs can try to hunt down and obtain miniature depictions of their favorite folk from such popular pictures and series as Dazed and Confused, Goodfellas, the silent Nosferatu, the Universal Monsters, The Wizard of Oz, and many more, from Anchorman and Dirty Dancing to Gladiator and Sixteen Candles. There’s even a series of famous director statuettes that includes Alfred Hitchcock, Spike Lee, and Kevin Smith.
Now, I know that the Funko market–like most things these days–tends to skew towards folks younger than me. I also understand that my taste in cinematic memorabilia may miss that market. But I honestly think that the good folks at Funko are missing out on untapped sources of revenue by not diving deeper into the arthouse movie scene. That’s why I’d like to propose a series of figures based on films from the Criterion Collection, the decades-old home for classic, foreign, and independent titles marketed towards discerning cineastes. I’ve even gone to the trouble of working up a few very–I repeat, very–sketchy photo mock-ups for some toys that I think would look great on one’s shelves next to the Criterion DVDs and Blu-rays, Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris books, and Citizen Kane snow globes. You’ve already seen Death from Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal above. Now allow me to present:
Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot in Tati’s Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday
Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang’s M
Renée Falconetti as Joan in Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc
Toshiro Mifune as Kuwabatake Sanjuro in Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro
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Divine and Edith Massey as “Babs Johnson” and Edie the Egg Lady in Waters’ Pink Flamingos
For the ensemble collector, a 3-pack of Jeanne Moreau, Henri Serre, and Oskar Werner as (respectively) Catherine, Jim, and Jules in François Truffaut’s Jules et Jim
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And finally–even though it’s not yet joined the Criterion stable–what Pops collection would be complete without Tom Neyman as The Master and John Reynolds as Torgo from Hal Warren’s Manos: The Hands of Fate?
I mean, come on; which do you think would garner more sales, Manos: The Hands of Fate or Marvel’s Eternals (yes, they have their own Pops line)?
What do you think of our Criterion Funko suggestions? Which classic movie characters would you like to see released as Pops? Let us know in the comments below.