Hot Toys - MMS 106 - Alien - BIG CHAP collectible figure

[dedguy]

I totally agree with this post.

And for the record...I'm enjoying reading the discussion between ALV and Abake.

See I just don't. You don't need to "open your eyes or get some new glasses" you need to spend hours of research and just carefully watching the film ain't really going to cut it.

That's my big argument. I don't "like it despite the inaccuracies" I think the inaccuracies are meaningless.

But it's late and I've had a really bad week so ignore me if I'm getting snarky.

 

[Sabres21768]

No big deal dude, I don't take it personal.

Again, it's just a friendly discussion.

 

[MaulFan]

Well, the conversation isn't uncivil or anything or I'd be cleaning things up and putting a foot down, it just seems like some people coming in this thread with more of a focus on the figure are tired of seeing the battle for who's right go on and I'm just trying to find a balance in this thread so that everyone can enjoy coming in here.

 

[dedguy]

I just get bugged when I'm told I'm an idiot, which is what I kinda felt like from Tankman's post. I know it's not really what was said, but again... really bad week, really bad mood.

 

[Sabres21768]

Well, I apologize if it came accross that I might be agreeing with any implication you were getting.

Well, the conversation isn't uncivil or anything or I'd be cleaning things up and putting a foot down, it just seems like some people coming in this thread with more of a focus on the figure are tired of seeing the battle for who's right go on and I'm just trying to find a balance in this thread so that everyone can enjoy coming in here.

Well, I'm a good example.

I was one of THE MORE vocal opponents to this figure.
Even posting some nasty stuff I shouldn't have.

But, I've come to really enjoy this figure for what it is.

Accurate - NO

Cool sculpt - YES

 

[Wor-Gar]

Let's see this again. Might be a fav picture.

 

[dedguy]

...and TDK was done twice and even still the new figure has a bunch of details wrong and they have had bright super well lit perfect studio photos for months before the film even came out. Alien there's not that same level of quality reference that's super easy to get.

So it's not like they paid more attention to TDK than Alien (and I know they did the Alien bust before but that was just the bust) they have just had more time to get it right and better reference to work from and they still got things wrong. In that case though I also don't care. It's more than close enough.

 

[MaulFan]

Nothing wrong with people being dissatisfied with the figure, it just seems like there's also come a more "who's right" back and forth in here on top of the figure discussion, people being called out for not knowing what they're talking about, those people defending that they do. For the people involved it's pertinent but for everyone jsut interested in the figure, the more figure centric stuff gets lost in the mix and I sense people are tiring of it so just trying to steer things back towards primary focus on the figure.

 

[Wor-Gar]

But, I've come to really enjoy this figure for what it is.

 

[Sabres21768]

Then back to the figure we go...

 

[MaulFan]

...and TDK was done twice and even still the new figure has a bunch of details wrong and they have had bright super well lit perfect studio photos for months before the film even came out. Alien there's not that same level of quality reference that's super easy to get.

So it's not like they paid more attention to TDK than Alien (and I know they did the Alien bust before but that was just the bust) they have just had more time to get it right and better reference to work from and they still got things wrong. In that case though I also don't care. It's more than close enough.

Also, some details will just always have to be off because these are articulated, functional figures. No 1/6 figure will ever be a 100% replication of the source material because some concessions will be made, it's on a body type that doesn't suit the actor because mass produced figures share bodies, or the neck isn't sculpted so the muscles don't match, or some part's jointed so artistic license is uesd around there. It's not necessarily the answer for what is or isn't right with the Alien, but a general trend I've noticed is that it seems like people forget that the nature of what 1/6 figures are means that in some way, a figure's always bound to be off in some regard.

 

[dedguy]

I love your backdrops.

 

[MaulFan]

Then back to the figure we go...

What I'd give to live near you and facebox to borrow your dios for shooting.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Question to Alien owners: are the knees designed for the slight bend like in the photo above, or is it molded for a "standing straight" pose? Meaning, does even a slight bend put stress on the 'rubber' enough to be concerned over time?

 

[dedguy]

Dios are one of those things I love to see but would never make because they're not something I'd display. I love 'em in photos but on the shelf there's something about a free standing figure I love.

As an artist I also hate drawing backgrounds.

Wor-Gar: hard to say, it's packaged at the slight bend but looks normal both ways and doesn't seem to "want" to be in either the bent leg pose or straight up.

 

[Master Wayne]

So I am the only one with this?

Debating exchanging it. It doesn't really show, but on the other hand this wasn't a cheap figure. What would you guys do?

 

[MaulFan]

Dios are one of those things I love to see but would never make because they're not something I'd display. I love 'em in photos but on the shelf there's something about a free standing figure I love.

Yeah, most of the time, I'd only want them for photos, they'd look great for display but when space is an issue, that takes dios out of the equation. I considered the GI Joe dio for the broken wall as it'd be handy for some photos, but then not so valuable to me after that and too much money as a "throw away" piece. I'd love some small elements that are generic that I could recycle over and over, biggest desired dio element for me is a 1/6 table, just a pretty plain, top and 4 legs table, use it for Batman or whatever, tables are always handy.

 

[FACEBOX]

So I am the only one with this?

Debating exchanging it. It doesn't really show, but on the other hand this wasn't a cheap figure. What would you guys do?

Mine does NOT look like that neither.

On to the figure, I think some people (me) expected HT to deliver the "be all end all" of all ALIEN Xenos. However, they left room for improvement... more than I would have preferred. So, with all the effort they did with replacing John Connor's head and all... I thought we'd finally strike gold!
That's not to say that I want you to not like the figure, is when we get classified as being obsessive for wanting more, we have to defend our point of view. It seems we all like this figure... only to varying degrees.

In the case of dioramas, they sure do take up a lot of space! Personally, I don't have any of mine on display. I just take 'em out for pictures, and back they go. I don't think I would display them even if I had the space.
I can usually whip up a diorama in 3 days if I put my energy into it, and I think you have to be a little bit nuts (like most creative people are).
But, it's always nice to take pictures of a piece and make your fellow collectors go "SWEET" even though we all have the same piece!

What I've realized over the years is that we all love this hobby. Sometimes so much, that arguments arise just because we love a different side OF THE SAME COIN too much.

So, if we don't complain, figures would never improve.
If we didn't love the figures we got, no one would even make them in the 1st place.

We need each other.

Hippy out.

 

[DSD]

...sorry if someone has suggested this (I am trying to catch up on the messages) but I've used guitar strings for detailing some of my alien projects.

Good luck.

Ah yes! A wound G string would be perfect, what a great idea!

 

[DSD]

I like them all for different reasons, but I'm realistic enough to know that I'll never be able to own any one version of the ALIEN that encomapses everything that's seen in film. I have many versions, but nothing that will ever perfectly capture what's seen on screen - never. I'm cool with that because I have a good understanding about the techniques use to create what's seen on screen. Even if it is possible, you would still require a set of figures, not a single one.

.

Your post was very well worded and I totally see the angle you are taking on this, but the fact remains that they could have simply taken any one shot in the film, and based the figure on that. Or if not, they could at least have paused the DVD or otherwise sourced hi res versions of these two stills (perhaps by getting an advance of the Blu Ray from Fox even!), and you know, actually counted and measured the teeth, mapped their proportions, digitally scanned it (Character Options do amazing digital sculpts for the Who range), whatever, and also got the chroming kit out!

Never mind the lighting, the slime etc, just get the actual details and proportions right.

Then they could have thought "Right then, what colour and shape is the inner mouth? I know, let's look at this scene":

And then sculpted it the right size, with the right detailing, and painted it off-white!

That would have ensured that at least the mouth was correct. And yes, there is a "correct" version, it's right there on the screen in glorious close up! You can't deny that, and for my sanity I hope you don't try.

If I was sculpting a version of the Alien, the above process is the absolute least effort I would go to. I wouldn't just make it up as I went along, especially not at the price these things sell for!

And yeah, at this price I reckon they could have given us multiple heads to represent the different props, or an alternative one at least. Why not?

And yet, it's still a cool figure. That also cannot be denied. I'm glad you're enjoying it. For my part I'm enjoying the discussion, and so long as we keep it civil I don't see why the "haters" and "lovers" can't continue to bat their opinions to and fro. It is a discussion forum after all