Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Dragon 1/35 scale German "Blue Division" Spanish Volunteers...FINISHED!!!

1/35 scale soldiers are HARD! Haha, took me the better part of a MONTH to get these done. I'm pleased with the overall results - I added a few more weapons than intended per the kit instructions. But hey - why not right? I'd like to do more but perhaps I will try to find some smaller scales next time around. These are almost twice the size of my Japanese Pilots from earlier this year.

First off, a few reference pics including a unique "skull" logo that I tried (somewhat successfully) to put on the helmets.























Had to get a close-up of this one. Somehow I got the face just right...it even looks like his eyes are looking to the right! Lucky weathering I guess...



The full figure...













Friday, July 26, 2013

Dragon 1/35 scale German "Blue Division" Spanish Volunteers...details, details...

Getting close now..a bit more detail/trim work on some of the figures. I hate the white ones..hopefully those can be saved with some weathering and shading. Perhaps they will look better with weapons strapped everywhere. Ugh. I def like the darker uniform combos best.

My favorite figure and paint job so far...



Second fave - notice the buttons!



Back of same one...showcasing bags and magazines attached...



Guns, Guns, Guns!!!







Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Dragon 1/35 scale German "Blue Division" Spanish Volunteers Eastern Front 42-43...some progress FINALLY...

I wanted to get something up on these this week so here it is. Still a good bit of "fixing" and detail work to be done. I hate using white or foundation white to paint. It is so thick and doesn't dry "thin" even with copious amounts of water added to it. Sigh. Oh well. I will try to finish these up and get them weathered to bring out the detail and dirt. For now, enjoy...





Wednesday, July 10, 2013

NEW PROJECT! Dragon 1/35 scale German "Blue Division" Spanish Volunteers Eastern Front 42-43...



I wanted something simple and CHEAP. Snagged this set for $6 on Amazon! Each figure is like a tiny model unto itself. Very nice detail and multiple weapon options.

A preview of my snow covered base...Sea salt, ballast and some leftover grape stems!



Figure close-ups...







Some base placement test shots...









Some of the TEENY weapons that I constructed. Have I mentioned these are TEENY???

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Prepare the Red Matter...

Two more Star Trek poster ideas. I'm gonna submit at least one if not both to my Society6 page. Which one do you prefer?

Monday, July 1, 2013

More Russian Camo...

Now that is just...damn.

Khanzilla Review - H.P. Lovecraft's From Beyond (1986) - Scream Factory Blu Ray

This is something I'm going to try out...I've never been in depth with any movie or DVD/Blu reviews so this is my first attempt. So without further adieu...



From Beyond directed by Stuart Gordon...Produced by Brian Yuzna. Coming on the heels of the hit Re-Animator, From Beyond was awarded more budget and more time. We have 2/3 of the main cast from Re-Animator in the outstanding Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton. They are joined by Ken Foree of the original Dawn of the Dead. We have tons of practical effects and very, very minimal cgi graphics - because let's face it, in 1986, there was nothing else - this was a golden age for horror and horror effects. This is a stellar print of the Director's Cut originally released on DVD back in 2007. All of the extras from that release are ported over and 4 new, short features are added. I wish these had been longer but I will take what I can get. This is one you will enjoy, especially if you hold Re-Animator in high regard like I do. It features an outlandish story full of resonators, pineal glands and extra dimensional monsters. A great score by Richard Band and the aforementioned special effects makes this a perfect example of a bygone era in horror films...they don't make 'em like this anymore!

Jeffrey Combs is having a bit of a headache...



Doctor Pratorius (Ted Sorel) gets cozy with Barbara Crampton



The packaging is one of Scream Factory's main draws - they usually include a new work of art for the bluray cover with the option to flip over the inlay to showcase the original movie poster for those of us who prefer the classic look. I am very glad they did so here as the new cover artwork just isn't my favorite. I can acknowledge that it was most likely the work of a mega-fan but the overall piece is too jumbled and chaotic for my taste. Not that it's terrible, it's just not my personal preference.

The classic artwork blu cover.



Original artists rendition - not my fave.



All in all, this is a blu that you should have on your shelf if you don't already.

Movie Review: 4 out of 5 Khans!!! A stellar example of everything coming together from a team who were at their creative zenith at this point in time.



Bluray review: 4 out of 5 Khans!!! Having two choiced of artwork is nice, I only wish the extras had been a bit more meaty.