Farzad Vrahramyan, an artist who regularly works with Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. and on the Alien and Predator films, has just uploaded a piece of artwork he contributed to Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5!
Mutated Alien
Like much of the creature concepts we’ve seen of Blomkamp’s Alien 5 (aka Red Harvest), Farzad’s concept continues in the direction of mutated Aliens. Another frequent artist who works on Alien films, Carlos Huante, previously post – but then took down – some artwork he did for Alien 5 which showed a lot of mutated Aliens. A lot of those concepts also had dual sets of arms, something we saw in the design marquette ADI shared last year.
Thanks to Alien Explorations for the news! Keep a close eye on Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest Alien news! You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get the latest on your social media walls. You can also join in with fellow Alien fans on our forums!
Update 05/03/2019: Unfortunately the artwork was removed from Instagram. I have uploaded a saved copy and a copy of a second piece that was also uploaded and then removed. Thanks to Nightmare Asylum for the second image.
Mutated Alien
Link To Post
Looks like Blomkamp's idea was going to basically cover all of the concepts the actual Alien3 smartly abandoned before filming. Sigh. :-\
For my taste it looks more suited for comic than film. If it would appear in actual movie, i think many fans would be pretty pissed off.
To be fair, this is purely an idea pitch not necessary based on a specific example in the film.
But, the film was clearly going to deal with genetically mutated Aliens, like all of the abandoned A3 scripts did...
Gotta say, I'm glad this didn't see the silver screen. It's a good drawing but a bad idea.
But that inner jaw looks like it was goona to be even more penis-like than before ;D
So now we know that Alien statue Neil posted before was not a molting into Queen creature. It's sad. :-\
I dont quite like the look, its not centipedy enough, but it was a first design so could have been vastly improved
Yeah, it's a concept sketch. It's the equivalent of throwing spaghetti at a wall (or director) and seeing what sticks :P
How on Earth can Blomkamp make claims about relying heavily on practical effects when he was requesting concepts like this..?
-Windebieste.
It's just exploration. They do it to see what works.
I hate it. Sorry Farzad.
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/516cb3993e6758b2cb15ad16aaeab270/tumblr_nhum8kQwZR1qgyrhco1_500.gif)
"Bad idea." -Alan Dutch Schaefer.
It is always interesting when art for this project surfaces, but at the end of the day I'm glad that it didn't move forward (and each piece of concept art tends to reinforce that).
It looks like one of those Aliens toys from the 90s.
Given its concept art I give it pass and there is no guarantee this would've been chosen.
When conceptualizing a movie more often than not you are not given story specific details or are required to fill out a space. Very rarely it seems that a script provides concrete details for a creature or character. Given they just needed some genetically engineered Aliens for a scene I'd imagine he was just told to go nuts.
We do however know that practical FX was planned at least for the four-armed drone but I'd imagine this guy probably would've been practical as well had this been chosen to be in-film. If it had been up to me though and a snake-like design had to be chosen I've just used the Kenner Snake Alien.
I bet this would look very creepy if it was brought to the big screen.
Quote from: SuperiorIronman on Mar 03, 2019, 02:35:08 PM
Given its concept art I give it pass and there is no guarantee this would've been chosen.
This particular design may not have been used, perhaps, but between this and the four-armed Big Chap it is pretty telling that the film was going to be exploring genetic experimentation and modification of the Aliens.
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 03, 2019, 02:29:50 PM
It is always interesting when art for this project surfaces,
but at the end of the day I'm glad that it didn't move forward (and each piece of concept art tends to reinforce that).
Agreed.
I generally don't know. Does ADI have any serious competition? Or are they always a shoo-in for this work.
Can we please stop talking about this aborted fan fiction already?
Feel free not to post in the threads. No-one is forcing you to participate. :)
Quote from: irn on Mar 03, 2019, 02:30:29 PM
It looks like one of those Aliens toys from the 90s.
First thing that came to my mind as well.
It definitely looks like a Kenner reject.
As somebody who thinks centipedes are more creepy than any animal has a right to be, i kinda like it as a rough concept.
Don't think i want to see it in an Alien movie in this or a similiar form though.
Νο.
Ever since a kid when I collected all the action figures....I always wanted to see altered aliens in the films...maybe not this concept but something along those lines! I am still a little hopeful for the Alien 5 film 🤞🤞🤞
The movement of it would be super creepy
I'm fine for some deviation, but nope.
I love it. Looks super creepy.
this shows the biggest problems when people make Xeno hybrids, they are too human in appearence, they are supposed to look like their host, not a human mixed with their host.
I'm not really digging the mutated alien concepts, but I'd gladly take this over the Newborn or prequel goo monsters.
The thread OP concept's garbage.
Apologies Farzad Vrahramyan, the art's quality regardless.
Carlos Huante's Neomorph (onscreen's good, concept's superior)
and "Ultramorph" concept's top tier.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/gallery/albums/movies/prometheus/creatures/creatures303.jpg)
(https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/t/58f8f0bf9f74561265f5c2f3/1492709644179/new-alien-covenant-photos-show-off-a-terrifying-neomorph-alien-creature-and-more1?format=2500w)
Spoiler
Ultramorph.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/7e/26/a37e2613bd431a0f0fa2100ec3e2d666.jpg)
Yeah, Huante's stuff was awesome.
I always wonder: if it was necessary to remove tail from Beluga Alien?
No. The incorporation enhances the design IMO.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BujjwYKFhMw/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=137nwhnw78rwy
Another concept posted.
I think the only brief was "mutated Aliens". These are all just spitballing.
Why does everything have to be genetically altered these days? The Predator: Has human DNA in the fugitive, Dog Predators, and of course Upgrade himself. Alien Resurrection: Cloning makes queen have the ability to give birth like a human being and here comes the Newborn, and even Terminator Genisys has genetic altering with John Connor being turned into a cyborg of some kind. With Alien don't they have the ability to gain traits from a host? If having strange Xenomorph types is a huge must, why not just have the xenomorphs breed from various different animals like the Kenner toys maybe? It just seems strange that literally everywhere I go there's always some sort of genetic experiment in old franchises, hell I just remembered that Fast and Furious is doing that now. Is that just the only thing they can come up with?
Quote from: SiL on Mar 03, 2019, 10:41:02 PM
https://www.instagram.com/p/BujjwYKFhMw/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=137nwhnw78rwy
Another concept posted.
I think the only brief was "mutated Aliens". These are all just spitballing.
lol wut. The mutations from Alien R. were more than enough.
Setting the Deloreon to 1990 when Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator 2 were the only A & P films.
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BoringImaginativeAffenpinscher-small.gif)
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Well that escalated quickly.
Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Mar 04, 2019, 12:39:44 AM
Setting the Deloreon to 1990 when Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator 2 were the only A & P films.
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BoringImaginativeAffenpinscher-small.gif
Can we skip ahead first so I can see kotm and gvk?
That I need to grab some investment money for walmart.
Keep the motor running, ill be coming back fast.
Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Mar 04, 2019, 12:39:44 AM
Setting the Deloreon to 1990 when Alien, Aliens, Predator, and Predator 2 were the only A & P films.
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BoringImaginativeAffenpinscher-small.gif
Save me a seat! ;)
It can't be before 2001, muh AVP2.
Just grab what you need and let's go!
We need to leave NOW!!!
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/RepentantHonoredCoyote-size_restricted.gif)
Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Mar 04, 2019, 02:48:26 AM
We need to leave NOW!!!
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/RepentantHonoredCoyote-size_restricted.gif
But they're having a film sale
But it's the prequel fans here to stop us!
Quote from: SiL on Mar 04, 2019, 12:58:57 AM
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Anyone get a copy of it? Even if I don't like the concept, I'm interested in what ideas were floated around, and the artwork itself is usually good.
Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Mar 04, 2019, 02:52:58 AM
But it's the prequel fans here to stop us!
Let's roll.
To the recess thread before we get excommunicated.
Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Mar 04, 2019, 02:48:26 AM
We need to leave NOW!!!
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/RepentantHonoredCoyote-size_restricted.gif
The Libyans!
Quote from: Stitch on Mar 04, 2019, 02:54:52 AM
Quote from: SiL on Mar 04, 2019, 12:58:57 AM
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Anyone get a copy of it? Even if I don't like the concept, I'm interested in what ideas were floated around, and the artwork itself is usually good.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fKuXmedzLg/XHuvgTn8IcI/AAAAAAAAtl8/9fjjWrMlH58fJevnmmqx_xpF9ugrjSdhgCKgBGAs/s1600/51697139_658255124604502_8871841772390027461_n.jpg)
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 04, 2019, 08:03:12 AM
Quote from: Stitch on Mar 04, 2019, 02:54:52 AM
Quote from: SiL on Mar 04, 2019, 12:58:57 AM
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Anyone get a copy of it? Even if I don't like the concept, I'm interested in what ideas were floated around, and the artwork itself is usually good.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4fKuXmedzLg/XHuvgTn8IcI/AAAAAAAAtl8/9fjjWrMlH58fJevnmmqx_xpF9ugrjSdhgCKgBGAs/s1600/51697139_658255124604502_8871841772390027461_n.jpg)
Thanks, but I meant the second one, which SiL posted.
The one with the multiple Alien heads on one body. I didn't save it myself.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi68.tinypic.com%2F8xmv11.jpg&hash=48ec7ac587283dd5acbcb0485660782cc0763881)
Don't have a high quality save but I was able to nab this from a preview to the link I sent via a message.
So... Blomkamp's idea appears to be Alien Resurrection as Alien 3? Or maybe Operation: Aliens?
I thought the additional arms xeno looked ok, but this multiple head thing is just a Ray Harryhausen pastiche and not very good.
I really think they're trying too hard to refresh the xeno, when really it's original version has always been the perfect organism.
When will producers realise the terror lies as a combination of the scheming of the company, what we can't see in the shadows and the body horror of human hosting. I think Alien Covenant missed a trick by not revealing a barely alive Shaw mutating into a Queen, screaming for help with Xeno bio-mechnics fused to her body. The series needs more twisted body-horror, not trying to reinvent the alien.
Quote from: Game_Over_Man on Mar 04, 2019, 04:10:48 PM
When will producers realise the terror lies as a combination of the scheming of the company, what we can't see in the shadows and the body horror of human hosting. I think Alien Covenant missed a trick by not revealing a barely alive Shaw mutating into a Queen, screaming for help with Xeno bio-mechnics fused to her body. The series needs more twisted body-horror, not trying to reinvent the alien.
That would be something to see!
Quote from: SiL on Mar 04, 2019, 12:58:57 AM
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Did someone rip the second piece from IG?
:( Cannot see it
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Mar 04, 2019, 06:51:05 PM
Quote from: SiL on Mar 04, 2019, 12:58:57 AM
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Did someone rip the second piece from IG?
This image showing for you? If not I can try direct messaging it.
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 04, 2019, 01:53:28 PM
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi68.tinypic.com%2F8xmv11.jpg&hash=48ec7ac587283dd5acbcb0485660782cc0763881)
Don't have a high quality save but I was able to nab this from a preview to the link I sent via a message.
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 04, 2019, 01:53:28 PM
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi68.tinypic.com%2F8xmv11.jpg&hash=48ec7ac587283dd5acbcb0485660782cc0763881)
Don't have a high quality save but I was able to nab this from a preview to the link I sent via a message.
So basically he wanted to merge aliens 86 and resident evil?
Yeah, great.
No thank you Niel, the franchise has been butchered enough.
Cool sketches, fantastic work by the artists. Great stuff for a videogame, but no movie of this. This is straight up cheap b level stuff. Don't defile alien with this kind of thing.
Typical modern filmmaking. Bring back old and dead characters. Make the monster bigger, more arms, more legs, heads, etc.
The artwork is nice.
However I hate the Idea! I didnt like what little they did in Alien Resurrection, and I dont like it this way too.
Look the original model works great! See Alien Isolation for Proof! Original Model, and it effectively works.
They were going to use the original design.
With four arms if I remember.
Which was probably also a mutant.
Frankly given the "quality" of the designs you're not missing much if you didn't/don't see them. I know this is just random trial and errors, very early stage of preproduction, but it looks like a kid's idea of "new Alien creatures". "Hey what if it had a snake body", "what if it had five heads"... Nothing new, nothing stimulating.
If you're stretching the boundaries, it's a good place to start. Go way out there, then dial it back.
I have no problem with concept art stretching the boundaries. That's what concept art is for.
Consider all the concept art that is rejected in projects like these. Who knows what would have actually been realized.
After seeing the concept art here, I'm glad they made Alien: Covenant instead.
Quote from: Local Trouble on Mar 05, 2019, 04:12:36 AM
I have no problem with concept art stretching the boundaries. That's what concept art is for.
Exactly. That's exactly what the concepting stage is. I think people ought to be more mindful of that.They go wild and see what works and what doesn't. Concept art is going to go crazy.
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 04, 2019, 08:27:43 PM
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Mar 04, 2019, 06:51:05 PM
Quote from: SiL on Mar 04, 2019, 12:58:57 AM
He's taken the art down.
Hopefully for legal reasons, not because people are unrelenting assholes over concept art.
Did someone rip the second piece from IG?
This image showing for you? If not I can try direct messaging it.
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 04, 2019, 01:53:28 PM
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi68.tinypic.com%2F8xmv11.jpg&hash=48ec7ac587283dd5acbcb0485660782cc0763881)
Don't have a high quality save but I was able to nab this from a preview to the link I sent via a message.
Thanks for that NA. I was hoping someone had managed to snag a higher res save directly from the IG page as well.
This concept would work in an Alien comic book. But I don't know what to think of it in a live-action film. They should use it for a comic, but better not for a million dollar production. It might look too playful. The design of the Aliens in Prometheus and Alien Covenant weren't extraordinary, but they did look natural and primordial.
I'm not necessarily sure the centipede-like thing was an indicator of genetic mutations/splicing. It might have simply been an Alien which birthed from a non-human host. What's off-putting about it is the stylised nature of the art. If it was depicted in a less cartoonish fashion, I could see a design like that being rather nightmarish if on screen. I can't imagine it would have been authorised for just a cameo, mind you, considering how these things are usually budgeted.
The one with lots of heads might have arisen from mutation, but who knows?
I don't mind genetic splicing/mutation in a film the Aliens feature in. If any horror concept is suited for it, it's them and 'The Thing', after all. It just depends on how it's executed. The Ripley clones are actually fascinating to see when revealed and one of the more memorable scenes in that film with a fairly decent atmosphere. The one with the mouthful of sharp teeth and no eyes really intrigued me. Heck, AC's laboratory David 8's been busy in, seems like it's the highlight of the entire film for some people. I'm sure the recent 'David's Drawings' book was snapped up precisely because of that when it was published.
So, yeah, I don't have a problem with it as a basic concept. Depends how it's done. And if some of these are as a result of birthing from non-human ET wildlife hosts, I've actually wanted to see that done properly on film for a long time, so long as the designs look dangerous and believable.
David's Drawings is gorgeous and realistic.
The OP concept art is neither.
Quote from: The Old One on Mar 05, 2019, 04:41:15 PM
David's Drawings is gorgeous and realistic.
The OP concept art is neither.
One is finalized for production and distribution pieces of artwork.
The other is preproduction conceptual artwork.
Bit of a difference there. Not to mention the lack of context.
I'm sure ADI would be able to de-cartoonify the final product. If not for the extra arms, their rendition of Big Chap is essentially perfect.
I disagree.
What's wrong with it?
The proportions, the original and Isolation version's superior.
I didn't notice anything wrong with its proportions the first time I saw it so I'll have to take another look.
(https://instagram.fman2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/vp/2c618d46094a45db3afee40a63c771db/5D0671C1/t51.2885-15/e35/41826059_1910883398978368_6792968424882610755_n.jpg?_nc_ht=instagram.fman2-2.fna.fbcdn.net)
Trademark ADI Resurrection length head, pitiful back appendages, pitiful waist (ADI back particulars) and pitiful pelvis.
You don't NEED concept art for a new Alien movie, just follow what Giger did in Alien. Everything that came after from lesser filmmakers and artists was trash anyway.
Quote from: The Old One on Mar 05, 2019, 05:57:14 PMTrademark ADI Resurrection length head, pitiful back appendages, pitiful waist (ADI back partilars) and pitiful pelvis.
Still not seeing it. Anyone else? ???
Quote from: Local Trouble on Mar 05, 2019, 06:00:25 PM
Still not seeing it. Anyone else? ???
Yeah, I'm not seeing it either. Looks fine too me.
Thirded.
At least its biomechanical. Inferior to the original but well every other design is.
Yeah, I'm not seeing it either. The smoke stacks are much thicker than the mutant design and very inline with the originals, and the waist is nice and thin.
Maybe it would be great for some nightmare sequence. Or maybe as some rejected experiments - like in Resurrection.
I don't know. Too comic-like for my taste
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Mar 05, 2019, 07:17:04 PM
Yeah, I'm not seeing it either. The smoke stacks are much thicker than the mutant design and very inline with the originals, and the waist is nice and thin.
I would like to remind everyone that everything looks off at the conceptual stage. Alien 5 died during the conceptual stage and thus nothing tangible for its production actually exists. What we do know is that an artist was hired to make mutants for a scene.
Honestly if they would've played up the penis look for the centipede though, I've been fine with that.
Quote from: SuperiorIronman on Mar 05, 2019, 10:50:28 PM
Honestly if they would've played up the penis look for the centipede though, I've been fine with that.
Something to get behind?
Considering the special effects in the Oats Studios shorts, I think the mutations would've looked cool.
Quote from: The Old One on Mar 05, 2019, 11:37:25 PM
Perhaps, we'll never know.
If his Robocop movie turns out well, it wouldn't surprise me if they still give him a chance.
I just wish this movie got made so the discussion could move forward.
Release the script. That would put an end to it in a day.
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 12:47:20 AM
Release the script. That would put an end to it in a day.
Oh, man... Lol! :D
The amount of teeth gnashing it would bring, It would
never end.
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 12:47:20 AM
Release the script. That would put an end to it in a day.
Which script? The one that did exist or the one that didn't? ???
Quote from: Stitch on Mar 06, 2019, 02:08:18 AM
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 12:47:20 AM
Release the script. That would put an end to it in a day.
Which script? The one that did exist or the one that didn't? ???
Neil's got one. Don't think he doesn't. He had to have something written down to pitch to weaver and Cameron.
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 12:47:20 AM
Release the script. That would put an end to it in a day.
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 02:09:59 AMNeil's got one. Don't think he doesn't. He had to have something written down to pitch to weaver and Cameron.
He had something but it's only about a dozen pages. Not a full script.
Someone should ask him on twitter.
I don't a script alone would end it.
Even if it sucks there's still people who'd love a return to something like Aliens.
Let's see them pages Neil.
Is it even Neill's to show? Or does Fox own it?
Quote from: Kelgaard on Mar 06, 2019, 04:23:37 AM
Is it even Neill's to show? Or does Fox own it?
Pretty confident FOX owns it.
I think Ripley is dead. I want to see something with new Characters. All the characters from Aliens have been grown old. I think a return wouldn't work for a wide audience.
A treatment.
Quote from: JungleHunter87 on Mar 06, 2019, 06:06:48 AM
Quote from: Kelgaard on Mar 06, 2019, 04:23:37 AM
Is it even Neill's to show? Or does Fox own it?
Pretty confident FOX owns it.
I think a leak is in order.
A slight slip of the tongue, as it were.
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 03:23:03 PM
Quote from: JungleHunter87 on Mar 06, 2019, 06:06:48 AM
Quote from: Kelgaard on Mar 06, 2019, 04:23:37 AM
Is it even Neill's to show? Or does Fox own it?
Pretty confident FOX owns it.
I think a leak is in order.
A slight slip of the tongue, as it were.
Which would you prefer? A leaked script or a comic adaptation?
Similar to what's been done with William Gibson's ALIEN 3 script by Dark Horse?
Quote from: JungleHunter87 on Mar 06, 2019, 03:45:12 PM
Quote from: Huggs on Mar 06, 2019, 03:23:03 PM
Quote from: JungleHunter87 on Mar 06, 2019, 06:06:48 AM
Quote from: Kelgaard on Mar 06, 2019, 04:23:37 AM
Is it even Neill's to show? Or does Fox own it?
Pretty confident FOX owns it.
I think a leak is in order.
A slight slip of the tongue, as it were.
Which would you prefer? A leaked script or a comic adaptation?
Similar to what's been done with William Gibson's ALIEN 3 script by Dark Horse?
I don't read comics, so i'll take the leak.
If the project will never see light of day, it would be nice to see whatever script there is or was. If it's presented as a DH comic, that would be fine too.
With respect to the concepts in the thread, they are ungainly. That's their crime. As Giger often said, the Alien was an aesthetic monster. The original suggested grace and power. The best of the Kenner critters and other derivative works have that, as well. These, not so much. I think for the centipede, the insistence on keeping so much of the humanoid creature worked against it. The many-heads model may have been an experiment gone wrong, suggesting a serious birth defect. In that case, it works.
Not to be negative but...NEXT.
There is no NEXT here. This is what the thread is about.
I like the centipede one, reminds me of the kenner snake alien and the aquatic ones from the comic.
Alien film + Kenner ≠ positive result.
Scorpions and panthers ;)
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Mar 15, 2019, 01:43:20 PM
Scorpions and panthers ;)
So... the Aliens design with a few extra spikes, and the Alien 3 design with a new hat?
Quote from: [CANCERBLACK] on Mar 27, 2019, 12:25:39 PM
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Mar 15, 2019, 01:43:20 PM
Scorpions and panthers ;)
So... the Aliens design with a few extra spikes, and the Alien 3 design with a new hat?
The Alien 3 design is Jaguars and Freight Trains.
The original panther, I like the gold and grey color scheme and the built-in parasite is interesting. The iliac crests of the pelvis are stylized, but that enhances the design. Also, the sculpt retains more of the biomechanical feel of Giger's alien, and with a smooth dome. The overall effect is graceful. I think it's the most beautiful figure produced in the Kenner line and remains one of my favorite figures overall. The Night Stalker repaint works, too; but it's sort of just another alien with red markings. YMMV.
I expect the Scorpion design was Kenner's stand-in for the Aliens warrior and has the exploding gimmick. The spikes are nothing to fuss about. The biggest problem with it is, chibi proportions. It's a killer dwarf! The NECA redux fixes that and looks great.
No.
I have sympathy for the notion that the panther design is a successful variant design, especially when redone to be less exaggerated and stylised. But i'm broadly anti-hybrid on principle.
Agreed.
Hybrids are ok. I think it's natural to experiment with an idea. The Kenner designers got to see how different animals would look as Aliens. Some of the hybrids work better than others. The Panther works well! The designers had a lot of restrictions, too. The figures had to be a certain size to fit in the bubble, joints were limited in number and range of motion, everything had to work for the price point, and so on. But it would have been fun to work on those.
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Apr 01, 2019, 06:03:36 AM
Hybrids are ok. I think it's natural to experiment with an idea. The Kenner designers got to see how different animals would look as Aliens. Some of the hybrids work better than others. The Panther works well! The designers had a lot of restrictions, too. The figures had to be a certain size to fit in the bubble, joints were limited in number and range of motion, everything had to work for the price point, and so on. But it would have been fun to work on those.
The factors you bring up have very little to do with why the kenner designs are so awful. The fact they're awful mean most can't be redeemed or adapted into anything good.
I have a soft spot for a lot of them, and have in fact recreated several for the AvP miniatures game. But as serious Alien designs they're uniformly dire and should never get anywhere near any movies.
The Kenner figures were not intended to land in a movie. They were inspired by but separate from the movies. We're talking about creature designs from a line of action figures released over 25 years ago. The wonder is, we're still talking about them and we can agree there was at least one decent figure in the line. But Neca is proving that even some of the lumpy designs are interesting if treated in a more serious way. Imagine if Neca made a Flying Queen sculpted, in the same scale, and with the same care as the other Neca Queen Aliens. I think that would look great! They would make it look great. Their Kenner Predator updates look great, too. Make Aliens Great Again! ::) :laugh:
Happy April Fools Day.
The Kenner designs should be left with Kenner.
The Kenner line wasn't meant for curmudgeonly, perfectionist fans with stratospheric expectations of the product line, It was meant to go along with a kids' cartoon show.
Fun fact: It was the other way around (https://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/articles/the-operation-aliens-conspiracy/) -- Kenner pitched a show to Fox to coincide with the toyline they were doing anyway, but it never got commissioned. Operation Aliens was never a thing outside of some branding on some toy boxes.
So we're trashing the designs of a toy line that was being creative for kids? I don't get it. Personally I liked the ones I had before they got burnt. I actually liked the designs of The Flying Queen, Bull, and Snake aliens though the Snake could literally be a large Chestburster in some way. Honestly though it's hard for me to trash something that was meant for kids in the 90's an Era well known for it's crazy toy lines.
@Sil: I stand corrected. Would you agree the figures were more for kids than hardcore fans and collectors?
@Predwars24: The 90's did have some wild toys!
@Old One: I addressed that, but if Neca versions of those critters ended up in a movie, that might be OK. As you like to say, it depends on the execution..
Well, I still don't like the idea of them on film. At least not in the blatant sense of animal has horns = Alien has horns, type of thing.
Makes sense. I doubt such a film would happen, anyway. As it is, I wonder if we'll get more than these shorts in the next few years.
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Apr 01, 2019, 02:18:33 PM
@Sil: I stand corrected. Would you agree the figures were more for kids than hardcore fans and collectors?
Oh, 100%! They're the epitome of 90s kids toy design.
QuoteThe Kenner line wasn't meant for curmudgeonly, perfectionist fans with stratospheric expectations of the product line
Yep.
And to be honest I find the current re-designs of the Kenner stuff a bit naff. The old Scorpion Alien was the closest design to the creatures form the second film - and it exploded. The new one is kinda uninspired.
Sadly, after all this time, those Scorpions don't really explode any more. When they work at all, they just sort of pop into pieces right where they are. I do have one still in a blister pack with comic and facehugger, but I can't vouch for its function without opening it up. ::)
I've got two that both still explode.
Sounds like you've given Kenner quite a lot of money.
Quite.
Had to buy enough figures to get the Nien Nunb mail away.
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Apr 01, 2019, 01:36:50 PM
The Kenner line wasn't meant for curmudgeonly, perfectionist fans with stratospheric expectations of the product line, It was meant to go along with a kids' cartoon show.
You realize that I can love them and think they're shit at the same time right? Case in point, I spent
dozens of hours making these in homage to the Kenner stuff. But going all out on the [host] features instead of the Alien features is silly as f**k, nostalgia aside.
(https://i.imgur.com/gzp0xRR.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FKOcNuO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nUpo8sa.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nTkUdVE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QXG0hPF.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cT1RSya.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/R8VO1ur.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/suT4KUO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/53RXT9r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/78M8ohp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IOlcmtr.jpg)
@[CANCERBLACK]: I get it. Cool figures! Thanks for sharing the pictures. :)
@SM: I got the clear Ambush Predator on a mail-in. That's a weird figure. I don't think it was ever released in a blister.
https://mikestoyblog.com/2014/04/retro-review-kenner-ambush-predator/ (https://mikestoyblog.com/2014/04/retro-review-kenner-ambush-predator/)
Nice take on the bull alien.The fancy tips may impede the horns' stabbing function.
That looks awesome.
Disagree. Artist is clearly very talented but it's really poor as an Alien design for a lot of reasons.
Yep.
Looks like something from Hellboy. It's moved a fair way from looking like an Alien.
If you told me that was a completely unique design unrelated to Alien I wouldn't bat an eye.
Quote from: SM on Apr 03, 2019, 11:01:32 PM
Yep.
Looks like something from Hellboy.
The reboot Hellboy, at that. :-X
Yeah, I don't enjoy discouraging anyone but it's totally inappropriate for Alien.
I kinda like the gums (weird thing to notice, I know) because it vaguely evokes the nostrils of a bull without just slapping a pair of bull nostrils on an alien. But everything else... eh. I wish they'd concentrate on xeno-fying the skeletons on the animals in the same way The Big Chap was extrapolated from a human skeleton. Especially other bovine skeletons, since they look f**king WEIRD:
(https://media.nature.com/w700/magazine-assets/d41586-018-05689-7/d41586-018-05689-7_15941830.jpg)
In other words, the xeno should look as much like the animal as the original design looks like a human. ^ Imagine that, but Giger-fied. I think it could work.
I personally believe the Alien ought to only get as different as the human born (Alien/Aliens) to animal born. (Alien³)
All vaguely humanoid.
Quote
The Alien is host genetic domination.
Uncompromised perfection.
The "DNA reflex" is a survival mechanism, so the body structure formed is analogous for survival. i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶
The "Runner" E.G, is a beautiful design.
No protrusions, it's aerodynamics' perfect.
It inherits a quadrupedal stance.
̶b̶i̶p̶e̶d̶a̶l̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶e̶
The logical conclusion.
A tough protrusion's a hindrance.
As Isolation depicts the entire Alien form is pliant, through tight areas.
A exterior protrusion serves no purpose if it's a offensive or defensive mechanism, because if it's pliant it's by definition; not sharp.
The tail, claws and inner jaw exists regardless.
Basically, always seven-eight feet, always phallic, always limber and always erotic.
It's why the Kenner designs or anything like them never belong on film,
It's why every PredAlien design has been a failure,
aside from arguably the Dave Dorman one if you omitt the hair.
I'd love to see the bull design in a tongal short. If we can have the pa kettle body and anus mouths of the neomorph in a Hollywood production, why not something a little more..."horny" as it were? ;)
Because the Neomorph's a Alien ancestor, imperfection's appropriate.
The final Alien is consistent, and always nearly identical.
The difference between the original Alien, Aliens' adult and Alien³'s adult is the correct amount of variation.
Beyond that? It starts getting ridiculous, and inelegant.
It...could...work!!!!
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-tmi2FhC7nwQ%2FUKRjIeQOngI%2FAAAAAAAAN-o%2FM5_G3JvNXbw%2Fs1600%2Ftumblr_lp8fltcBuL1qcqpbqo1_500.gif&hash=7d8ee55f03f0ca1dad31a07fef65bec47304674c)
Anything, perhaps.
Adhering to the philosophy of the first three aforementioned designs.