Adrian Cowdry
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2012
- Messages
- 1,038
Planet Figure....
Elsewhere on this forum galaxy I started a Thread about Fury - the Brad Pitt movie and it has gone off at a tangent on a few directions.
I think I am right in saying that most of us enjoy movies for various reasons - some of us on here can get antsy about details being wrong in a film - Patton is a good example - it was a superbly made film yet as all of us can point out the German Armour were modern US tanks - why oh why can this happen -well back hen the surplus of tanks did not include Panzers, Shermans or Tigers - only in recent times have we got re-enactor vehicles on the scene - there is a call for the use of such vehicles (Saving Private Ryan, Fury) - the same can be said for Battle of the Bulge and we can even say similar about The Battle of Britain - Mk V and IX Spitfires doubled for Mk 1's and 1a's and Buchons doubled for ME 109's - Back in those days movies were made with the resources available - CGI was not an option.
Take The Dam Busters - three Lancs made up the whole squadron with Lincolns in the background.
I think we can all agree that we as the audience have to accept inaccuracies like this to make a movie - 1% of the audience will make up purists and critics like this i n fact possibly less than 1% - I remember seeing Excalibur for the first time and talking about it with a purist who slammed it because the knights armour was all wrong Arthur was a 5th century warlord with leather armour not a 14th century King with shining armour - at the time I said "Yeah but who cares? The film was wonderful and told Mallorys Morte De Arthur as it was supposed to be told with knights battling in armour and chivalry and magic - and I still say this film is brilliant - it is nearly 40 years old and I maintain cannot be beaten (Guy Ritchie is reviving King Arthur in a new film soon) - Boorman had a vision and without CGI he released a great film...In my opinion.
I would like to start this thread off though with a few questions to stimulate and produce debate and discussion.
A lot of my hobby revolves around Movies - many subjects I make in the figure department are film subjects and I am gagging for figures from Where Eagles Dare (Come on MMM!) - I have been making figures on and off since I was around seven with the old Aurora kits of the Universal monsters - nowadays I am into the big garage kits that cover these subjects but not just horror - I have just primed a 1/4 scale bust of Judge Dredd. I can state that my figure making/painting is not centred around Movie subjects but certainly I do like some of these in my collection including 54mm Captain Jack Sparrow, Michael Caine in Zulu 120mm, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin 200mm, Frankenstein's Monster, Werewolves, Dracula 1/9, 1/6 scale and then Batman, Curse of the Werewolf, American Werewolf in London and Karloff as The Monster all in 1/1 scale.
I have favourite films - and I will not aske you Planet Figure modellers to name your favourite film - I don't think that is possible - maybe your top ten films - but for me I would probably be able to pick five top movies from each genre
Here goes a few
Comedy
Life of Brian - for me the funniest film ever made.
The Music Box - Laurel and Hardy's Oscar winner - a simple premise yet so much fun
Some Like it Hot - Billy Wilder brought together magic
The Italian Job - Best caper film ever made
Young Frankenstein - just brilliant
Sci-Fi
Blade Runner - Sublime Film Noir set in a bleak future
The Empire Strikes Back - the darkest of the Star Wars franchise and the best directed.
Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country - the classic crew in a final hurrah but done so well.
Terminator - Arnie was never finer as the menacing terminator
Alien - Ridley Scott redefined Sci Fi with tisi film
Fantasy
Excalibur - Pure brilliance filmmaking on a tight budget
Raiders of the Lost Ark - The ultimate adventurer chasing supernatural artifacts
Lord of the Rings Part I - Superb epic film making that set a benchmark.
The Man Who Would Be King - the ultimate adventure of two regular men chasing the dream.
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Errol Flynn was born to be Robin Hood and while the later films are good this one is great!
Superheroes
Superman the Movie
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
Thor 2
Batman (Michael Keaton)
War
Battle of Britain - Never will we see so many aircraft on film unless it's CGI a true homage to the few.
Das Boot - possibly the greatest portrayal of intense war
Zulu - Still regarded as one of the best war films ever made by Sandhurst - explains the tactics as well as showing the bravery of so few men against such huge odds.
A Bridge Too Far - possibly the best film about the reasons to not go to war.
The Deer Hunter - Possibly the greatest film of what happens to men when they return.
Drama
Lawrence of Arabia (too god to be in the war films) one of the greatest films ever made - beats Citizen Kane and Vertigo any day.
The Godfather - comes a close second to being the greatest film ever made. Sheer craftsmanship.
Jaws - Film making at it's geatest
Angels with Dirty Faces - Cagney's great film about choices made in life.
Rear Window - Hitchcock's greatest film - curiosity can bring danger
Cop
Dirty Harry - Do you feel lucky.
Bullitt - Coolest of all performances
French Connection - Hackman at his greatest
Magnum Force - possibly better than Dirty Harry
Western
The Searchers - the ultimate in the use of the great outdoors and horses.
Silverado - so diverse and accurate to the mish mash of people settling in the US
For a Few Dollars More - Two bounty hunters on the same path for different reasons
High Plains Drifter - great imagery and revenge served cold movie
Open Range - so under rated yet excellent film
Horror
Frankenstein - Karloff
Dracula - Lugosi
Curse of the Werewolf - Hammer at it's best Oliver Reed superb.
American Werewolf in London - Modern take on a classic theme and Jenny Agutter getting hot!
Bram Stokers Dracula - Copplas take on the novel (Ignore Keannu Reves English accent!)
Boys Own
The Great Escape - (OK maybe it should be in the war section but it is more boys-own tales making one film)
Where Eagles Dare - Can't beat it.
The Wild Geese - sublime cast in camouflage what more could you want?
Kelly's Heroes - If we were at war and had the chance we'd go out and do the same...
Spys
Ipcress File - Michael Caine is the down at heel Harry Palmer - iconic
Mission Impossible - Tom Cruise set a franchise going that rivals 007
True Lies - Arnie did Bond when Dalton and Eon packed up for six years
13 Rue Madeline - James Cagney as an agent of the OSS
Little Drummer Girl - Le Carre's masterpiece - of it's time yet well made.
And that doesn't include Animated films, Musicals, Biographies, Romance, Criminal and a ton more - but above all my favourite films are James Bond -Connery will always own the role - he is the ultimate 007, Lazenby made the best film On Her Majesty's Secret Service - closest to the novels, Roger Moore was the clown and with a nod and a wink to the audience we went on an adventure, Dalton was the best actor in the role - he portrayed Bond from the novels, Brosnan was the most disappointing he promised so much yet delivered little - he is a shallow actor and relied on spectacle while Craig is the thug and although a good actor he is not Bond - Bond is six feet tall not 5'9" - Bond is not blonde and he doesn't enjoy the bad part of his job - killing - Craig's Bond appears to like meeting out death.
So to wind up - most of what I mention above I have incorporated into my figure habits when I can - I'd love a good Cagney figure/bust, I have several 007 themed figures - some I even commissioned my self. lsewhere I mentioned I'd like a good Michael Caine - preferably as Harry Palmer - But I'd take Charlie Croaker as well.
As you can see I love movies - and I am presuming that most on here like to indulge - the question and point of this thread is what movies do you like and have incorporated into your figure habits? What would you like to see Movie subject wise in figures?
Elsewhere on this forum galaxy I started a Thread about Fury - the Brad Pitt movie and it has gone off at a tangent on a few directions.
I think I am right in saying that most of us enjoy movies for various reasons - some of us on here can get antsy about details being wrong in a film - Patton is a good example - it was a superbly made film yet as all of us can point out the German Armour were modern US tanks - why oh why can this happen -well back hen the surplus of tanks did not include Panzers, Shermans or Tigers - only in recent times have we got re-enactor vehicles on the scene - there is a call for the use of such vehicles (Saving Private Ryan, Fury) - the same can be said for Battle of the Bulge and we can even say similar about The Battle of Britain - Mk V and IX Spitfires doubled for Mk 1's and 1a's and Buchons doubled for ME 109's - Back in those days movies were made with the resources available - CGI was not an option.
Take The Dam Busters - three Lancs made up the whole squadron with Lincolns in the background.
I think we can all agree that we as the audience have to accept inaccuracies like this to make a movie - 1% of the audience will make up purists and critics like this i n fact possibly less than 1% - I remember seeing Excalibur for the first time and talking about it with a purist who slammed it because the knights armour was all wrong Arthur was a 5th century warlord with leather armour not a 14th century King with shining armour - at the time I said "Yeah but who cares? The film was wonderful and told Mallorys Morte De Arthur as it was supposed to be told with knights battling in armour and chivalry and magic - and I still say this film is brilliant - it is nearly 40 years old and I maintain cannot be beaten (Guy Ritchie is reviving King Arthur in a new film soon) - Boorman had a vision and without CGI he released a great film...In my opinion.
I would like to start this thread off though with a few questions to stimulate and produce debate and discussion.
A lot of my hobby revolves around Movies - many subjects I make in the figure department are film subjects and I am gagging for figures from Where Eagles Dare (Come on MMM!) - I have been making figures on and off since I was around seven with the old Aurora kits of the Universal monsters - nowadays I am into the big garage kits that cover these subjects but not just horror - I have just primed a 1/4 scale bust of Judge Dredd. I can state that my figure making/painting is not centred around Movie subjects but certainly I do like some of these in my collection including 54mm Captain Jack Sparrow, Michael Caine in Zulu 120mm, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin 200mm, Frankenstein's Monster, Werewolves, Dracula 1/9, 1/6 scale and then Batman, Curse of the Werewolf, American Werewolf in London and Karloff as The Monster all in 1/1 scale.
I have favourite films - and I will not aske you Planet Figure modellers to name your favourite film - I don't think that is possible - maybe your top ten films - but for me I would probably be able to pick five top movies from each genre
Here goes a few
Comedy
Life of Brian - for me the funniest film ever made.
The Music Box - Laurel and Hardy's Oscar winner - a simple premise yet so much fun
Some Like it Hot - Billy Wilder brought together magic
The Italian Job - Best caper film ever made
Young Frankenstein - just brilliant
Sci-Fi
Blade Runner - Sublime Film Noir set in a bleak future
The Empire Strikes Back - the darkest of the Star Wars franchise and the best directed.
Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country - the classic crew in a final hurrah but done so well.
Terminator - Arnie was never finer as the menacing terminator
Alien - Ridley Scott redefined Sci Fi with tisi film
Fantasy
Excalibur - Pure brilliance filmmaking on a tight budget
Raiders of the Lost Ark - The ultimate adventurer chasing supernatural artifacts
Lord of the Rings Part I - Superb epic film making that set a benchmark.
The Man Who Would Be King - the ultimate adventure of two regular men chasing the dream.
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Errol Flynn was born to be Robin Hood and while the later films are good this one is great!
Superheroes
Superman the Movie
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
Thor 2
Batman (Michael Keaton)
War
Battle of Britain - Never will we see so many aircraft on film unless it's CGI a true homage to the few.
Das Boot - possibly the greatest portrayal of intense war
Zulu - Still regarded as one of the best war films ever made by Sandhurst - explains the tactics as well as showing the bravery of so few men against such huge odds.
A Bridge Too Far - possibly the best film about the reasons to not go to war.
The Deer Hunter - Possibly the greatest film of what happens to men when they return.
Drama
Lawrence of Arabia (too god to be in the war films) one of the greatest films ever made - beats Citizen Kane and Vertigo any day.
The Godfather - comes a close second to being the greatest film ever made. Sheer craftsmanship.
Jaws - Film making at it's geatest
Angels with Dirty Faces - Cagney's great film about choices made in life.
Rear Window - Hitchcock's greatest film - curiosity can bring danger
Cop
Dirty Harry - Do you feel lucky.
Bullitt - Coolest of all performances
French Connection - Hackman at his greatest
Magnum Force - possibly better than Dirty Harry
Western
The Searchers - the ultimate in the use of the great outdoors and horses.
Silverado - so diverse and accurate to the mish mash of people settling in the US
For a Few Dollars More - Two bounty hunters on the same path for different reasons
High Plains Drifter - great imagery and revenge served cold movie
Open Range - so under rated yet excellent film
Horror
Frankenstein - Karloff
Dracula - Lugosi
Curse of the Werewolf - Hammer at it's best Oliver Reed superb.
American Werewolf in London - Modern take on a classic theme and Jenny Agutter getting hot!
Bram Stokers Dracula - Copplas take on the novel (Ignore Keannu Reves English accent!)
Boys Own
The Great Escape - (OK maybe it should be in the war section but it is more boys-own tales making one film)
Where Eagles Dare - Can't beat it.
The Wild Geese - sublime cast in camouflage what more could you want?
Kelly's Heroes - If we were at war and had the chance we'd go out and do the same...
Spys
Ipcress File - Michael Caine is the down at heel Harry Palmer - iconic
Mission Impossible - Tom Cruise set a franchise going that rivals 007
True Lies - Arnie did Bond when Dalton and Eon packed up for six years
13 Rue Madeline - James Cagney as an agent of the OSS
Little Drummer Girl - Le Carre's masterpiece - of it's time yet well made.
And that doesn't include Animated films, Musicals, Biographies, Romance, Criminal and a ton more - but above all my favourite films are James Bond -Connery will always own the role - he is the ultimate 007, Lazenby made the best film On Her Majesty's Secret Service - closest to the novels, Roger Moore was the clown and with a nod and a wink to the audience we went on an adventure, Dalton was the best actor in the role - he portrayed Bond from the novels, Brosnan was the most disappointing he promised so much yet delivered little - he is a shallow actor and relied on spectacle while Craig is the thug and although a good actor he is not Bond - Bond is six feet tall not 5'9" - Bond is not blonde and he doesn't enjoy the bad part of his job - killing - Craig's Bond appears to like meeting out death.
So to wind up - most of what I mention above I have incorporated into my figure habits when I can - I'd love a good Cagney figure/bust, I have several 007 themed figures - some I even commissioned my self. lsewhere I mentioned I'd like a good Michael Caine - preferably as Harry Palmer - But I'd take Charlie Croaker as well.
As you can see I love movies - and I am presuming that most on here like to indulge - the question and point of this thread is what movies do you like and have incorporated into your figure habits? What would you like to see Movie subject wise in figures?
