HT--Executive Officer---KANE

[creecher]

I'm actually surprised a lot of you are reacting this way and cancelling the figure over the headsculpt.

This is NOTHING new from Hot Toys...the whole original Colonial Marines line couldn't get the actors' likenesses. And the way they've shown photos have already straight hinted to us that the headsculpts would be an issue with the licensor (we've all talked about it for months before).

We're seeing them struggle now over the PREDATOR figures as well...so what can we all expect hmmm?

I'm sure some of you are all going to regret, but oh well....

We knew they were waiting on securing the Hurt likeness, but this bears no slight resemblance to Hurt. All we really discussed is, when we would get to see pics of the sculpt, and why we we hadn't seen any pics of the headsculpt at all. Instead they quickly release the figure even before releasing the pics. The sculpt is useless, and the paint on the alternative is sub par.

I'm in the process of seeing if I can cancel my pre-order. I've had it with Hot Toys and their unseemly deceitful marketing tack. I'm keeping my money till they change how they go about doing business. That may be some time. There are plenty of more reputable companies that can have my money, and make me happy at the same time. From now on it's Enterbay, all the way.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I'm actually surprised a lot of you are reacting this way and cancelling the figure over the headsculpt.

This is NOTHING new from Hot Toys...the whole original Colonial Marines line couldn't get the actors' likenesses. And the way they've shown photos have already straight hinted to us that the headsculpts would be an issue with the licensor (we've all talked about it for months before).

We're seeing them struggle now over the PREDATOR figures as well...so what can we all expect hmmm?

I'm sure some of you are all going to regret, but oh well....

In a short amount of time, the headsculpt has become THE motivating factor it seems. A likeness is only as good as the sculpt; a representation of the film character is not good enough anymore. I blame Trevor Grove and Yulli for this.

But hey, the bright side is: the more cancelations, the fewer Kane's will be made and certainly no second wave. Thus, the higher the value for the Kane's they do sell. I'm not sure Kane will ever become a Hicks type deal -- I don't think ALIEN has the crossover 'military' interest -- but in time it should hold a solid value, especially if they do the last blue suit (Lambert) and the Giger Alien.

A good customizer's Kane sculpt could change everything, or a solid repaint on the facehugger. Once in-hand pics start littering the boards, the desire may increase...just like with Hicks.

 

[Space Jockey]

A good customizer's Kane sculpt could change everything, or a solid repaint on the facehugger. Once in-hand pics start littering the boards, the desire may increase...just like with Hicks.

That's very true. It'll be interesting to see what customizers do with this. Stendec's version of the Corporal Hicks figure is a great example.

 

[Wanderer]

I honestly don't know why, all of a sudden, there is this animosity towards HT...The Kane sculpt is horrid, however, if a studio or actor refuses their likeness rights, then HT doesn't have a choice in the matter...
For those upset about pre-ordering the figure...you have to take responsibility for doing that without knowing what the final piece looked like!

 

[inuka]

I wasn't too happy with the sculpt but I am keeping my pre-order with SS anyway. I am a great fan of the original Alien movie which motivates me to keep my pre-orders for this figure and Dallas.

 

[uscmhicks]

I honestly don't know why, all of a sudden, there is this animosity towards HT...The Kane sculpt is horrid, however, if a studio or actor refuses their likeness rights, then HT doesn't have a choice in the matter...
For those upset about pre-ordering the figure...you have to take responsibility for doing that without knowing what the final piece looked like!

Couldn't of said it better myself. In fact I near enough seen this one coming.
Luckily we have the Dallas likeness , if we didn't we wouldn't even have an extra head option. I guarantee six months down the line there will be a custom Kane headsculpt made anyway.

 

[creecher]

I honestly don't know why, all of a sudden, there is this animosity towards HT...The Kane sculpt is horrid, however, if a studio or actor refuses their likeness rights, then HT doesn't have a choice in the matter...
For those upset about pre-ordering the figure...you have to take responsibility for doing that without knowing what the final piece looked like!

Why? Because they said 'pending approval'. Then they release the figure. Then they put a pic of the head sculpt up. So what about their responsibility? I take full responsibility for my pre-order. I want to cancel, but if the seller says 'no can do', I'll be paying for it. So, now, what do you have to say about Hot Toys responsibility? They chose not to release pics till AFTER they released the fig. They chose to keep their paying customers in the dark. I call that deceipt. You may wish to call that unavoidable. An oversight. They rely on hype to slip under the radar, or to overide their lack of fortitude. "Oh look at Dallas. How good is that." The gushing fans talk about commissions and repaints. I'm here to say their poop is not so golden brown.

This isn't sudden animosity on my part. I haven't been happy with Hot Toys for a long period of time, for more than a handful of reasons. I still supported them, (I have over thirty of their figures) thinking they had to take some initiatives as a newly formed company trying new ways of doing ambitious things. That time has past. I'm letting my wallet speak for me in their language now.

 

[bluesparrow]

The mustache sculpt isn't a bad sculpt at all, it's just not of the actor playing the role. Which it seems was the intent.

I think it's fair to be disappointed in the end result, especially for such an expensive figure. But the implication of dishonesty on their part goes a bit outside the facts.

I don't think they've been deceitful or shady in the way they've handled this. I'm sure we all hoped that we would get the sculpt from those photos(which clearly looks like Hurt even in the obscured glimpses we saw), but there was the possibility clearly telegraphed by their solicitation imagery that we may not. Plain as day in their solicitation photos were warnings that the headsculpt was not approved nor final. The pictures of that sculpt were always angled in such a way as to obscure significant details. The implications of that were lost on no one.

The argument that they waited until after the figure was released to show the new headsculpt is disingenuous in my opinion. I'm unaware of anyone actually having one in their hands aside from the person whose photos are at the beginning of this thread, and they seem to have gotten their figure in person at Hot Toys' shop. Dallas still hasn't arrived for most people, and those pictures hit the web how long ago? I won't be getting my Dallas from Sideshow probably until the end of the month. Probably no Kane till end of October.

For your sake Creecher I hope you are able to cancel your order. However had they released these pictures the day after you placed your preorder would it really have placed you in any different a predicament? Either way you would have to cancel the preorder.

 

[darren1228]

I honestly don't know why, all of a sudden, there is this animosity towards HT...The Kane sculpt is horrid, however, if a studio or actor refuses their likeness rights, then HT doesn't have a choice in the matter...
For those upset about pre-ordering the figure...you have to take responsibility for doing that without knowing what the final piece looked like!

It isn't just a problem with the likeness.....look at the paint job on the facehuggered head. The skin color is the same as the facehugger

 

[creecher]

As far as I'm concerned, the fact that it is in their shop, able to be purchased, denotes out and available to the public, to me. Then there's the issue of timing. Even if they happened to put up pictures at the same time, or days before, they knew well before then what they were going to give all the people who put their trust in them, via pre-orders. Don't they have that same trust, in their own product?

 

[creecher]

For your sake Creecher I hope you are able to cancel your order. However had they released these pictures the day after you placed your preorder would it really have placed you in any different a predicament? Either way you would have to cancel the preorder.

I haven't had word back yet, so I may not be able to cancel. Back, about six months ago, it would have been easier for both me and the seller to come to some arrangement. I can fully see that, now, it may be a problem.

 

[darren1228]

I haven't had word back yet, so I may not be able to cancel. Back, about six months ago, it would have been easier for both me and the seller to come to some arrangement. I can fully see that, now, it may be a problem.

I'm in the same boat.....unable to cancel. My enthusiasm for Dallas has also dampened because of the Kane debacle. Only way this could work out is if HT gives me a screen accurate Lambert with stretcher. That way I can have Dallas and Lambert carrying Kane on the stretcher....even then I'd still have to get the facehuggered Kane repainted

 

[Reinhardt]

you know it's funny. when initial images were released, everyone was talking about how they were going to display Kane with the facehugger head. I was one of the people that said I wanted to display him with his normal head and people thought i was nuts.

well, looks like facehugger head is the way to go. like people have said, i'm sure a good Kane head will show up soon. the Hudson and Apone head sculpts looked NOTHING at all like them. but the sculpted heads that Les did for Hudson and the Lonnie Apone heads are brilliant!!

 

[toystales]

If all these issues about the sculpt not resembling the actor who portrayed the role in the movie is about licensing and rights, then I hate to imagine what is eventually going to happen to the Dutch and Billy figures from the Predator movie when Hot Toys finally release them.

Long silence from Hot Toys with no official annoucements of the Dutch and Billy figures is troubling considering the situation we are currently experiencing with Kane. Is the long silence due to licensing and rights issues regarding the actors' likeness? Is Hot Toys going to do a double on us by dumping on us another couple of figures with no likeness at all to the actors who portrayed the respective roles in the movie?

While I can accept paying for a repaint or re-sculpt of my figures, what I can't accept is if Hot Toys start treating that as a norm rather than the exception. I certainly do not wish for Hot Toys to start dumping figures on us at such high price points whilst expecting us to perform our own repaint and re-sculpt. If they are going to do so, fine. They have to at least halfed the price of their products.

I guess I may now have to seriously consider holding off on all future Hot Toys releases until the actual items shipped or are available at retail.

 

[DarkArtist81]

Yeah, looks like I will have to repaint the facehugger head and sand off that mustache and repaint the regular head. Really sucks, I haven't had to do that with a HT figure in a long time.

 

[Sabres21768]

My question is how can this figure still even be called "Kane" in the first place?

It bears no resemblence to Hurt whatsoever, yet is still sold as a figure representing the character, played by Hurt, in the film.

If they'd called it "Nostromo Crew Member" then maybe...but this is just flat out misrepresentation.

 

[superboink]

Canceled my pre-order. Sorry Hot Toys.

 

[galactiboy]

I just canceled this the other day... I really wanted the figure, but these changes and the quality of the 2nd head are a real let down. I may still pick one up at a later time, but for now I just don't want the hassle.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Ouch! More cancelations. So much for this line.

I totally understand though, and I'm glad people are voting with their purchasing power. Perhaps it will send a message.

Funny thing is, for Aliens HT seemed to do better when it had no license and called them model kits. Now they have to deal with the studios. I think therein lies the real problem.

I'm gonna keep my Kane order....for now... and hope that HT addresses this in some way. Not sure how, not certain they will...just hoping.

 

[lordmasterprince]

Just spent about 2 hours and get this "SUCKER" repainted . May need some touch up on the hair ends a bit later , cause my eyes are quite tired now.