ALIEN Day – Prime 1 Studio Romulus Announcement.

Prime 1 Studio has released a teaser video for unannounced product relating to ALIEN Romulus on facebook. Much like today’s NECA announcement, very little information accompanies the post but it does confirm content is currently under development. Accompanying the video is the ambiguous phrase “Something is coming…”. That’s all the information we currently have right now. Nonetheless, Prime 1 Studio’s reputation for releasing extremely high quality statues and figures means expectations from this manufacturer will be high among fans. Again, no other details regarding price or availability are included in the announcement but this as yet unrevealed content is likely to be released around August 16, when ALIEN Romulus lands in cinemas worldwide.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Day – ALIENS Fireteam Update.

It looks like there’s been an update released for Cold Iron Studios team based video game, ALIENS: Fireteam Elite. It doesn’t appear to be anything major. Nonetheless, an update has been released today and I’m sure it will be welcomed by players, on all systems this title is released on. Here’s the info from the developer’s facebook page, “A free Alien Day update is coming to Aliens: Fireteam Elite today – we’re raising the currency cap to 100K, and making every challenge card pack in SSGT Park’s shop FREE! Happy Alien Day, fireteams.” I haven’t played the game yet so I don’t really comprehend the significance of this information. Have fun, regardless!

-windebieste.

ALIEN Day – ALIEN Rogue Incursion VR Game.

Developer Survios and 20th Century games partnered to announce their upcoming ALIEN virtual reality title back in 2022. Their VR game, ALIEN Rogue Incursion, will be coming to the PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, and Quest 3 on “Holiday 2024”. This will be the first officially released ALIEN VR game to be released across multiple systems.Not being a US resident, I’m guessing the “Holiday 2024” release window refers to the end of the year. Here’s what the developer has to say about this upcoming title “This brand-new single-player, action-horror VR game features an original story that fully surrounds players within the terrors of the Alien universe. Designed by Alien fans for Alien fans, Survios brings their expertise to crafting this technically advanced, and frightfully immersive Alien virtual reality game.” I love ALIEN video games and have spent a lot of time playing them during the past quarter century. Yeah. That’s a long time. I don’t have a VR set up but that might change if this title is released to a positive reception.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Day – Free League RPG 50% Off.

It’s ALIEN Day and Free League Publishing is celebrating by holding a 50% sale on all of their ALIEN role playing game merchandise. This offer includes everything Free League has published to date, including the Starter set, Core Rule Book along with 6 other expansions and content. At half price it’s a great deal if you’ve been thinking of delving into this well regarded RPG.
I haven’t played these myself, I’m more of a video game junkie than a table top enthusiast. Nonetheless, I have been wanting to play the Ravensburger ALIEN Fate of the Nostromo board game for some time, though. Might have to try that title one day. Still, AvP2 and ALIEN Isolation have been great video games. I’m happy with those.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Day – Cavity Colors T-Shirt.

ALIEN Day has kicked off. Let’s get dressed for the occasion. Cavity Colors have released a new range of ALIEN apparel today. Available from their online store are three new designs featuring the creature in its three different forms along with the crew of the Nostromo in stylised framed green and white on black. These look fantastic! The range includes a long sleeve shirt, two short sleeve variants and a zip up hoodie. Prices range from US$30 to US$50 dollars each and all are available inĀ  different sizes. DON’T WAIT! Here’s what the supplier has to say about the limited availability of this item, “THIS DESIGN WILL VANISH ON MONDAY, APRIL 29 @ 1 PM EST. This will be your only chance to grab this design before it’s gone FOREVER. NO REPRINT, EVER. You’ll have to BUY… or DIE!” You can order yours now directly from Cavity Colors.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Day – ALIEN Games Discounted.

Sure, it’s still one or two days out from the actual date but ALIEN Day celebrations have started a little early this year. Notably, downloadable PC games outlets Steam and EPIC GAMES are hosting discount sales for ALIEN titles for your PC. Some great items on offer here.
Steam has a trio of titles on offer, with an option to purchase them individually or as a bundle, the following games: AvP (2010), ALIEN Isolation and ALINES: Colonic Marines.

EPIC GAMES offers only a single title, ALIEN Isolation; but this sole Creative Assembly entry in the series is widely regarded as being the best ALIEN game ever released.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Romulus – Popcorn Bucket Leak?

This image has been leaked online via The Garfield Movie News on X (formerly twitter). It claims to represent the popcorn bucket that will be available when ALIEN Romulus is released. News of such an item was leaked a few days ago and now we may have our very first glimpse of what this item may actually be.
Bucket leak or just a leaky bucket? We don’t know. Nothing public has been announced or released regarding this item nor any verification this leak is legitimate. Leaks of this nature can fall either side of the truth. Nonetheless, there’s some interesting features to be queried here. The head design appears to be inspired by the Protomorphs appearing in ALIEN Covenant. Maybe, the creatures in ALIEN Romulus share some design elements with that iteration of the Alien? We’ll have to wait and see.

I’m not even sure how this Alien head is supposed to function as a popcorn bucket. It does look like it straps onto the hand as earlier reports have claimed. As to its purpose as a bucket? Does the dome lift off the top of the head to reveal the popcorn inside? I hope to see more of this item as time passes. It’s a weird one. We like weird. Just not taking this item too seriously right now. After all, what’s there to get excited about a popcorn bucket?

-windebieste.

ALIEN Romulus – Popcorn Bucket.

We’ve probably seen the very first hint of merchandise we can expect for ALIEN Romulus. Over on X (formerly twitter), this post was made by Exhibitor Relations Co on April 10, indicating our first glimpse into what we can expect to become available when the movie is released.

While nothing definitive is revealed here, it does hint at how much of a hit movie ALIEN Romulus is expected to be. Such marketing and sales tie-ins usually accompany a movie release expected to be favorably received by the public. Favorably enough for audience members to purchase a popcorn bucket before people enter the cinema to see the movie. DUNE Part 2 was a phenomenal success with the popcorn bucket made to look like an open Arrakis sandworm maw, made controversial due to its suggestive nature. What exactly can we anticipate from an ALIEN themed “popcorn container” that “attaches to your forearm”? Your guess is as good as mine.

We’ll have to wait and see; but one thing is for certain, we are only just beginning to see the crank handle start to turn on the ALIEN Romulus merchandise machine. In less than two weeks, ALIEN Day April 26 will be upon us and I expect any number of ALIEN Romulus announcements to be made. I’ll be around to cover any such merchandise right on this blog. Check in on ALIEN Day to see what’s covered here at HIDEOUS PLASTIC.

ALIEN Romulus is being released on August 16, 2024. Just a few months from now.

-windebieste.

ALIEN Romulus – Teaser Trailer Released.

The last week has seen some excited activity across the ALIEN fan community with anticipated news of an upcoming trailer for the new ALIEN Romulus movie being expected. Such excitement, driven by leaked (but unverified) information involving the potential plot of the new movie detailing the discovery of the original creature from 1979’s ALIEN floating in space. It is brought to the Romulus station, where aboard the deep space biological research facility, a sample of Engineer pathogen is extracted from the creature. Staff reverse engineering the substance create a new generation of hostile alien forms to serve as the catalyst for ALIEN Romulus’ main narrative.

Further alluding to the trailer’s then imminent release, yesterday ALIEN Romulus director Fede Alvarez released a single word on instagram, “TOMORROW”. Today, the eagerly awaited minute long teaser trailer has become available to view on YouTube.

While little to no indication of prior leaked plot details are present in the trailer, classic ALIEN iconography is prominently present throughout. Art direction reminiscent of the original movie, facehuggers – lots of facehuggers and what appears to be early model pulse rifles appear in this Scott Free/Brandywine production. Video game ALIEN Isolation would also appear to have significant influence on the movie’s content. Unconfirmed leaked plot details are still withheld from public eye in this trailer

Movie release News isn’t normally something I discuss on HIDEOUS PLASTIC as this blog’s focus is primarily concerned with merchandise inspired by these movies. In this regard though, a new movie will prove to be an absolute gold mine of potential new action figures, toys and other goodies coming our way. And that interests me greatly. As such, relevant News gets mentioned here. No doubt this new entry into the ALIEN series will generate more licenced material for the consumer market. I’m all for it.

What can we expect in regards to licenced material inspired by ALIEN Romulus? Who knows? I do hope long time companies such as NECA, Super7 and a dozen other organisations will once again hop onto the band wagon to gleefully serve up a slew of grisly looking space monsters to warm our hearts. I for one am looking forward to seeing fresh Alien types replicated in action figure format. Of very special interest to me would be at least one interpretation of the original Big Chap in the now atrophied state if it appears in this new movie. That’s got to be on the cards.

Oh, my! After forty five years, 20th Century Studios may yet entertain us with the possibility of the original Alien may be coming back? That detail is still yet to be confirmed – or denied. Nonetheless, where’s Kenner Products when you need them?

-windebieste.

“A New Toy Joins the ‘TOY STORY’ Gang”

This is a well known cartoon, drawn by illustrator Kev Brockschmidt. It captures the essence of an ALIEN action figure interacting with it’s playtime peers, rending other toys limb from limb and leaving carnage in its wake. It particularly draws on expressing the astonishment of R-rated movies being the source of toys for children. It’s a wonderful backhanded celebration of Kenner’s ALIEN toys of yesteryear, ranging from their original nefarious release of 1979 and through the decade of the 1990s. Kenner released several product lines of toys inspired by all of the ALIEN movies during the late 20th Century. All of those toy lines featuring implacable hostile space creatures marketed towards children based on movies children were not recommended to be exposed. It’s a fabulous piece of single panel art and commentary.

Thank you Kev for the kind permission to use this image on HIDEOUS PLASTIC. For more Kevin’s popular culture cartoon goodness, visit his site Kev Brockschmidt Illustration.

-windebieste.

“A is for ALIEN” Little Golden Book, Coming 2024.

I haven’t had much to post of late and this will probably be the last item for 2023. Gotta say, it’s a good one, though! It looks like Penguin Random House is publishing an ALIEN ABC Little Golden Book for children, ages 2-5 years old. Yes. An official licenced release for children who can learn the alphabet from a story based on an old R-rated 1979 space monster horror movie. While not an ALIEN action figure or a toy, this item definitely sits well within the “Weird ALIEN stuff made for Kids” category. And I’m good with that. When I first read about this item, I was sure it was a gag; but no. Here’s the description direct from the publisher, “Follow Ripley and the rest of the Nostromo crew on a space adventure that introduces the alphabet from A to Z. With fun illustrations, this light-hearted re-imagining of the iconic movie ALIEN will delight fans young and old, as well as Little Golden Book collectors through(ou)t the universe.” I know people who are already speculating how this is going to work. They are wanting “C is for Chestburster”, “F is for Facehugger” and “H is for Headbite that leaves large chunks of your brains hanging out of your skull”. It’s a safe bet the usually difficult letter to assign, “X is for Xenomorph”, will be present.

More information about this book to be released in July, 2024 can be found on the publisher’s product page where pre-orders are available. I guess this item is also available for pre-order wherever children’s books are sold. Now, go show your four year old child some ALIEN movies so they can be properly prepared for this release.

-windebieste.

UPDATED – Bootlegs, Knock Offs and other ā€œIllegal Aliensā€.

This ALIEN lamp arrived today. It’s a bootleg of another unlicenced product and it’s God damned awful. It’s bereft of any level of quality. Has no redeeming features. And I love it! I was lucky(!) enough to see one of these bootleg items being discussed on a Facebook ALIEN group a few weeks ago and knew I was destined to possess my very own low grade quality ALIEN lamp. So I placed my order with AliExpress, expecting an incredible piece of junk to be delivered and hoo-boy! I was not disappointed. Mind you, I would have had a completely different response had I not known the level of junk I was about to receive. It only matches the advertised sample by a significant stretch of the imagination. I sure would have been sorely disappointed had I not known exactly what was heading my way. This tragic “bait and switch” item now has a new home, it has been added to HIDEOUS PLASTIC’s lengthy examination of Bootlegs, Knock Offs and other ā€œIllegal Aliensā€. Have fun with this horrendous piece of nonsense along with all the other monstrosities on that page. There’s plenty of it documented and celebrated now.

If you have a preference for the original, higher quality Alien Xenomorph light up diorama rather than this laughable piece of junk, you can find it for sale on Etsy.

-windebieste.

Hong Kong Bootleg Inspired ALINE DVD Cover.

A description from a Hong Kong bootleg DVD of ALIEN has recently been circulating on social media for a few months. While still accurately describing the events of the movie, the translation back into English is hilarious in the extreme. What happens when you feed this description through AI to generate some images? Justin Norman was curious and he “wanted to see what images AI would generate, based on that description. It’s wild AF.” and posted the images online. It’s at this point I figured out it might be fun to use those images – and the original Hong Kong English translation – to create a paper insert to be placed into a DVD case. Justin was very cool with the idea and here’s the result. Well, that worked out kinda neat, hey. This is great! Now I just need to find a badly dubbed Hong Kong version of ALIEN and burn it to disc as contents. If you want one of these paper inserts for yourself, that’s no problem at all. Below is the full uncropped image. It’s yours, if you want it. Just click on the image, a single image gallery item will open and it will then be ready to download. Feel free to use as you see fit as there exists no copyright on AI generated imagery. Have fun with this:

Thank you Justin for having the inspiration to generate the images used in this wonderful piece of weirdness in the first place. Oh, and here’s the description from the original Hong Kong bootleg DVD that was the source of all of this shenanigans.

“Space ship people get up from sleeping coffin and have eat. Computer woman find strange noisings on planet and astronauts find big elephant man who dead then find too many egg. Astronaut is possess by egg demon and new egg demon is come when eat bad noodle. Seven friends and cat all try to find egg demon before space ship go home but is hard working. Who will life to escaping? Who is bad milk blood robot? Scream not working because space make deaf.”

Fantastic stuff! As for the prominent misspelling of “ALINE”? That’s Hiya Toys fault. lol.

-Windebieste.

DEBUNKED! – Kenner Red Gorilla Alien.

Recently posted on the Kenner ALIENS Toy Blog is an interesting article regarding the existence – or rather, non-existence – of one of Kenner’s rarest ALIENS toys released in the 1990s, the extremely elusive red variant of the Gorilla Alien! It looks like there is a solid reason for this item’s scarcity. It never existed. So, for collectors who are agonising over why you can never find a sample of the rare red Gorilla Alien at toy fairs, second hand toy dealers or eBay, you can stop hunting now. You simply won’t find one. Eric Fisher has explored the non-existence of this decidedly fake figure along with several other suspicious items you may (or may not) be able to add to your collection. Sadly, this appears to be the case. It’s not real. If you are interested in anything relating to Kenner’s ALIENS toys of the 1990s, especially obscure facts and information on the toy line, the Kenner ALIENS Toy Blog is worth a visit.

-windebieste.

Funko Blacklight ALIEN POP! Now Available.

Funko have recently released the latest licenced ALIEN item in their hugely popular POP! range of stylised toys and collectibles. Now available is the “Blacklight Xenomorph”, looking radiant as ever in a brilliant fluorescent green and blue colour scheme. Here’s what Funko have o say about this item, “An extraterrestrial threat is scoping out your Aliens collection! This black light Pop! Heralds a neon blue and green colour way whilst showcasing the Xenomorphā€™s poised attack stance, ready to prove its might as an apex predator. Be sure to act quick and add this incredible Pop! Vinyl figure to your collection today!” This item is some kind of “store exclusive” probably intended for the US market. It’s a safe bet though, you’ll find it anywhere Funko POP! figures are sold. …and that’s just about everywhere. I gotta say it. While I am not a fan of POP! items and don’t own any, the lurid colours is very appealing and I may yet add one to my collection. Maybe.

-windebieste.

DIY ALIEN Nostromo Shoe Box Diorama.

Way back in 2014, Super7 released an egg chamber play set for their 3.75 inch ALIEN ReAction figure line. During the intervening nine years since its release, this item (there were two variants) has become rare, sought after and very expensive. It’s been disappointing to see this was the only ALIEN play set Super7 released. Some fans I know have been wanting a Nostromo play set for years. Unfortunately, Super7 no long produces their ALIEN line of toys. So, it’s unrealistic to expect one to ever be forthcoming from them. This dire problem needs to be rectified. It must be remedied! Luckily, we have been rescued!Baptiste Coudert has provided us with all we need as a solution. Well, maybe not everything; but the essential printable components to make a Nostromo play set for yourself is now a reality. Here’s a link to a set of downloadable images on flickr you can print out and assemble to make your own Nostromo play set. Oh yeah. You’ll need an old shoe box to mount the printed components inside. The truly great thing about this improvised play set is manifold. Not only will you be constructively re-using an old shoe box to use as a display for reliving great action setups including having captain Dallas being dragged away in the airshafts by the Alien but there are other benefits, too. You will also be able to put the lid back on the box and use it to stow your figures in a safe place.

Now that’s genius! Now you won’t have to buy one of those expensive Super7 ALIEN carry cases to stow your figures, either. That makes the Nostromo play set a fantastic all round money saver and every home should have one, especially if you have an abundance of old shoe boxes lying around the place and been wondering what on Earth you were going to do with them.

Go grab and empty shoe box and download and print the Nostromo play set files right now! You’ll be glad you did. Thank you Baptiste for implementing this wonderful idea.

-windebieste.

Are XENOMOFOS Still Happening..?

I’ve recently had a few inquiries about XENOMOFOS. Some have come from visitors to this blog, curious about them due to the random header banners I use; and others who have been aware of the project for some time and have been seeking an update. The short answer is simple. YES! XENOMOFOS, after some delays, are definitely still alive and well!Ā  They’ve just been put on hold as dictated by real life concerns; but soon I will be in a position to return to working on this project once again. …and I’m looking forward to it.But, hey… what are XENOMOFOS, anyway?

I’m glad you asked. XENOMOFOS is a project I’ve been working on for some time now and are tribute items dedicated to the weird and wonderful world of Mexican bootleg toys. It’s no secret Mexican bootleggers are renowned for their cheap knock-off product and XENOMOFOS will celebrate this clandestine industry with limited releases. Satire and parody are paramount with these unashamedly unlicenced reproductions of reproductions (of reproductions of reproductions…). The pair of 5 inch Three Headed XENOMOFOS shown above are early inhouse concept and viability studies for the project. It’s since evolved beyond this stage with fresh masters generated. I’ll have more information regarding progress later this year. Watch this space. XENOMOFOS are coming!

-windebieste.

Etsy – Bronze Alien Stooped Statue.

If you’re looking for a near unique, high quality unlicenced ALIEN item then HDCrafts777 has something you will love. This 10 inch tall lost wax cast Alien features the original 1979 Giger’s Dessert Alien in its classic stooped pose and is available on Etsy right now.Ā  It’s cast in bronze, hand polished and carries a nice fat price tag of US$942. This does look like a stunning piece but the price tag isn’t the only limitation you may encounter if you want this item. Only one sample remains in the seller’s inventory. Which means if you want to have an excuse to spend next month’s rent on something else and impress everyone, this is well detailed and accurate metal statuette will no doubt be a great choice! Sure, you might end up being homeless but hey. At least you’ll own a really cool collectible.

-windebieste.

Limited Run Games – ALIEN Isolation.

Looks like ALIEN Isolation for Nintendo Switch is getting the Limited Run Games treatment. Limited Run Games have announced they will be publishing physical copies for the platform in very restricted quantities and in a variety of releases.

ALIEN Isolation is widely regarded as one of the best ALIEN game titles developed. It originally appeared on Sony, Microsoft and PC platforms in 2014. A Nintendo Switch release appeared in late 2019. However, the Nintendo version lacked a physical release. That has now been rectified. Here’s a few words from Limited Run Games, who will be releasing physical versions of the title for the Switch, “Limited Run Games sell on a pre-order basis. Once pre-orders close or our set quantities are sold out, you wonā€™t be able to purchase anymore. Our games are made-to-order and only printed once. Weā€™re not kidding when we say our games are limited. What it says on the tin is what youā€™re going to get: your very own extra ultra-rare title, of which few in the world exist.” I don’t own a switch but these very limited release items do look sweet. I might be interested in ordering one of the more affordable items to have the game represented in my collection. Pre-orders will commence on May 26th and end 9th July, 2023.

-Windebieste.

Steam ALIEN Day Sale.

Steam is currently holding an ALIEN Day sale. This sale includes much of Steam’s current library of ALIEN themed game titles: ALIENS vs PREDATOR (2010), ALIENS Colonial marines (2012) ALIEN Isolation (2014) and ALIENS Fireteam Elite (2021). Also included in today’s sale is the pre-order for the upcoming ALIENS – Dark Descent. Sadly, Rebellion’s two decades old, turn of the century AvP title is not among those games listed in the sale. It’s a great old title, too, that I spent many an hour on. I haven’t played ALIENS Fireteam Elite just yet as I am still waiting for more content to drop to make this title worth the purchase as I’m not an online gamer. I gotta say it, though, I’ve been playing Elden Ring for the past six months and been thoroughly spoiled in this regard. The amount of content present in that title puts just about everything else out there to shame!

-windebieste.