Chogokin Memories: A Look Back at the Miniature Voltron I Action Figure from Matchbox

Last Christmas, I did a retrospective post about the massive influx of Japanese robot toys that hit U.S. toy stores during the Christmas season of 1984. In the time since that post, I've learned that Japanese robot toys have their own system of taxonomy to classify the toys according to build, features, and material composition. For example, the term "chogokin" specifically refers to Japanese robot toys that were made during the 70s and 80s and featured a significant amount of die-cast metal. Chogokin toys were usually produced in one of two sizes: "ST" (or "standard"), which meant that the toy was around 5 inches high, and "DX" (or "deluxe"), which meant that the toy was much larger than 5 inches in height and came with more complex features.

This post is devoted to one of the ST chogokin toys that I had as a kid: the miniature 6 inch Voltron I action figure, which was released by Matchbox in 1984. There's quite a history regarding the Voltron anime series and its related merchandise--namely, that "Voltron I" was actually the super robot combiner from the anime series Armored Fleet Dairugger XV and that the Matchbox Voltron toys were actually repackaged toys that were made by Popy, the subsidiary of Bandai that is credited with the creation of chogokin-style toys. Click below to see a Voltron I picture gallery and to learn more about this imported version of a Japanese toy phenomenon.

The miniature Voltron I action figure isn't a bad toy at all. It's made from a combination of plastic and die-case metal parts, so it's very durable. I've had mine for over 25 years and the only part that has ever broken was one of the nose cone wings on the figure's head. Voltron I also has a colorful paint scheme, particularly a metallic blue that glistens brightly in sunlight.

If you look at Voltron I's back, you can still see the original Popy logo in Japanese lettering.

The Voltron I figure doesn't have as many features as its larger deluxe counterpart. It doesn't disassemble into 15 separate vehicles, although the red space ship that's mounted to its chest can be removed. Overall, it has about the same range of motion as its larger version, although there are a few differences: the larger version had joints in its elbows, while this version has joints in its knees. Both could rotate their arms at the shoulder.

Where this toy differs greatly from the original Japanese ST chogokin version is in the area of features. All the Matchbox Voltron I has to offer is the removable space ship and the movable joints--that's it. In contrast, the Japanese version of this chogokin came with its own sword, spring-loaded fists that could be launched from the figure's arms, and spring-loaded missiles that could be launched from the figure's shins. (Click here to read a review of the original ST Dairugger XV toy at the CollectionDX site.) The Matchbox Voltron I had none of these things--presumably for safety reasons--but you can still see holes in the figure's arms and legs that indicate where the fist and missile launch buttons were supposed to be. In short, the Voltron I action figure is the neutered version of its Japanese counterpart.

The vehicles that form Voltron I's feet have wheels, and the wheels move on the Voltron I action figure as if they were roller skates. I've seen other super robot combiners that also have wheels in their feet; unfortunately, I doubt that we'll ever see a super robot combiner roller derby. Dammit.

Matchbox also released another ST chogokin, a 6 inch version of Voltron III (a.k.a. Beast King GoLion). I didn't get that figure, although I suspect that its weapons and spring-loaded features were also removed for its release in the U.S. It's a shame that these two figures were released in 1984, because they would've fit perfectly with the Shogun Warrior lines of ST chogokins and action vehicles that were released by Mattel in the U.S. during the late 70s. That said, Toynami recently released 24 inch tall Shogun Warrior versions of both Voltrons.

Rebuilding Kenner's Star Wars Micro Collection, Brick by Brick

Toy collecting has become such a popular hobby that some collectors customize toys to appear like characters from popular fantasy, horror and sci-fi franchises. Sometimes, these customizations are done of compensate for the lack of licensed toys made in the likeness of a particular character (or even a particular vehicle), but what happens when a toy is used to recreate a previously released licensed toy?

Meet Eric Druon, a.k.a. BaronSat. BaronSat has produced a series of customized toy kits by using Lego bricks and you can see most of his work on his site, the BaronSat Workshop. He has assembled kits based on characters, settings and vehicles from franchises such as Battlestar Galactica, Planet of the Apes, Robotech, Star Trek and Star Wars, and you can even purchase some of these customizations--either as complete kits or as assembly instructions--through BaronSat's site.

Of the many amazing things that BaronSat shares on his site, I think that the most unique are his recreations of the two Death Star playsets that were released by Kenner as part of its short-lived Star Wars Micro Collection toy line during the early 80s. Not only do these sets recreate the exact details of the playsets, but they have been re-scaled to accommodate Lego Star Wars minifigs. Click below to see pictures of the two customized Lego playsets and how they compare to Kenner's originals. Photos are provided courtesy of the BaronSat Workshop, the Star Wars Collectors Archive, and the Rebel Scum.com site.

Kenner's two Micro Collection Death Star play sets were called "Death Star Escape" and "Death Star Compactor". These sets allowed kids to recreate key Death Star scenes from Star Wars, and the sets could be combined into a single play set called "Death Star World". As you can see from the pictures below, BaronSat included all of the playsets' features into his versions, including working doors, elevators and a trash compactor.


Death Star Escape:

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Death Star Compactor:

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Death Star World:

This is not the only Star Wars toy replica that BaronSat has assembled. If you look at the Star Wars picture gallery on his site, you will see his Lego recreation of the cardboard Death Star playset that was released by Palitoy and sold in the U.K. in the late 70s. Since Legos aren't as thin as cardboard, the dimensions of this recreation do not correspond directly to the original toy. Nevertheless, BaronSat did an impressive job at recreating the Palitoy playset for Star Wars minifigs.


The Palitoy Death Star Playset:

According to the Star Wars Collectors Archive, Kenner planned to release a third Death Star playset for the Micro Collection line before it was discontinued. The third playset was based on the Emperor's Throne Room from Return of the Jedi, and it was designed to connect to the other two Death Star playsets. So far, BaronSat has not designed a Lego replica of this unproduced playset (although we can hope he tries, right?).

You can purchase the instructions on how to build the Death Star Micro Collection playsets through the BaronSat Workshop site. Click here for more thoughts about Kenner's Star Wars Micro Collection toy line.

Nerd Rant: Is High-Definition Technology Killing Practical Special Effects?

At the end of this week, theaters across the country will debut The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the long-awaited film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel story for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While the film itself is getting positive reviews, I've noticed that many of the critics have also commented on one of the film's technical aspects--namely, the visual effect has resulted from the film being shot at 48 frames per second (fps) instead of the traditional 24 fps. The film's director, Peter Jackson, chose this new format for the sake of giving his film better image definition; some critics think that Jackson has achieved his goal in spades, while others think that the movie looks much more artificial than had it been shot at the normal frame rate.

In particular, Andrew O'Hehir's made this observation about the 48 fps format when he saw The Hobbit: "(F)or me ... this cinematic innovation apparently meant to create an atmosphere of magic realism makes the whole thing look immensely more fake. Mountains and fortresses that are presumably digital creations look like painted backdrops; humanoid figures of hobbits, dwarves and wizards appear just as artificial as the goblins, specters and trolls. ... Personally, I found the Thomas Kinkade-like glow of The Hobbit’s images both fascinating and disconcerting, and felt that it accentuated the movie’s other flaws."

I've noticed before on Blu-ray how higher definition can make multi-million dollar film productions look cheaper than they actually are, as if they were shot for television instead of the silver screen. Granted, this doesn't happen on all Blu-ray transfers--for example, the Blu-rays for Jaws and the Alien series look fantastic--but I've noticed it happening with enough frequency that I can only wonder how things will further change when and if the 48 fps format becomes the industry standard. In short, here's my question: Can practical special effects still be used if high-definition technology exposes their artificiality, or will only high-definition CGI special effects technology be able to keep up with the new fps format?

Essentially, special effects involve the creation of celluloid-ready optical illusions in order to enhance the audience's experience of watching a movie. In some ways, special effects are like stage magic: Just as magicians have to carefully control what a live audience can and cannot see in order to make stage tricks appear magical, special effects artists have to control what a movie audience can and cannot see in order to maintain their suspension of disbelief. The effects can be a complicated as stop motion animation or as (relatively) simple as forced perspective shots, and many special effects techniques have deliberately exploited the shortcomings of film as a medium to keep the audience unaware of the effects' artifice. So, what happens when special effects artists are forced to contend with a film format that is intended to show everything in such high detail?

Of course, filmmakers want fake things to appear real for the purpose of capturing the audience's imagination. Yet film projects that are heavily based on special effects--scale miniatures, animatronic costumes and puppets, complex applications of makeup, etc.--shouldn't look too real, because if they do they'll look exactly like what they really are: fake. Will practical special effects still have a place in 48 fps movies, or will the 48 fps format serve as another damaging blow against the usage of practical effects and further promote the usage of CGI special effects in their place?

I'll Be Block: The Terminator Buildable Construction Playset

With Lego raking in the cash through licenses such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and superheroes from both DC and Marvel Comics, it's inevitable that Lego's competitors will follow suit. For example, Best-Lock Construction Toys has picked up the Terminator license and has released The Terminator Buildable Construction Playset.

According to the product's description, "Recreate your favorite scenes from the blockbuster The Terminator movies with this superb value building block set, The Terminator Buildable Construction Playset, from Best-Lock Construction Toys. Containing over 1,000 pieces, The Terminator comes to life in block form and features all the essential elements to role play your very own Judgement Day, including; three Aerial Hunter-Killer models and two Tank Hunter-Killer models plus an army of T-800 cyborg figures as well as the iconic Terminator figure and a number of other models and accessories. This block set provides hours of fun for children aged five years up and can build everything illustrated at the same time, following the full-color, step-by-step building instructions which are included." I don't know if this set will allow builders to make larger Skynet war machines, such as the Harvester or the HK Centurion, although I'd be surprised if you could not with over 1,000 pieces at your disposal.

Best-Lock Construction Toys has also picked up the Stargate license, and it has released a few kits based on the Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis series. (Both of these TV shows were cancelled years ago, but I suppose that this is better late than never.) For additional brick-based sci-fi fun, Best-Lock has a "War of the Outer Planets" line, which includes space ships that look suspiciously similar to ship designs from Battlestar Galactica.

NECA's Big Red Predator: From Fan Film to Collectible Figure

I'll say this for the Predator franchise: Even though Hollywood doesn't have a clear idea of what to do with it, this creative property sure does produce some fascinating merchandise. Even though it only has produced only three stand-alone movies and two crossover movies during the last quarter century, Predator merchandise has included comic books, novels, video games, and collectibles that range from never-before-seen mask and creature designs to replicas of Predators from both the movies and the comic books. The fourth Predator movie appears to be stuck in development hell, but that hasn't stopped NECA from moving into new Predator merchandising territory.

NECA will be releasing the Big Red Predator figure, the first--and so far only--Predator figure that's based on a fan-made film. This seven-inch figure is based on a Predator that was seen in the 2003 fan film Batman: Dead End. In addition to the bold color scheme of its armor, the figure also comes with interchangeable hands and two katana swords.

The rear packaging for the Big Red Predator figure.

While it may seem unusual for NECA to use a fan film as the source of a new Predator figure design, it should be noted that Dead End was directed by special effects veteran Sandy Collora. Collora's professional work includes creature design work for films such as Leviathan, Jurassic Park, Men In Black, and Predator 2. Click here to see more pictures of the Big Red Predator figure, which is scheduled for shipping in January 2013.

A Promising Ghost Story Gets Orphaned in The Orphanage (2007)

Did you ever watch a movie that you want to like but you simply can't because it doesn't adhere to its own internal logic? If you do, then you know how I feel about The Orphanage, a 2007 Spanish horror film directed by Juan Antonio Bayona.

The Orphanage is about Laura (Belen Rueda) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) who are renovating an orphanage into a home for special needs children. Laura herself was an orphan at the very same orphanage that she and her husband are restoring and they even have an adopted child of their own, Simon (Roger Princep). A series of mysterious incidents begin to occur as Laura and Carlos prepare the building for new occupants, incidents that culminate with the disappearance of Simon on the very day of the orphanage's reopening. Laura's subsequent search for Simon leads her into the building's forgotten past and the dark secrets that it hides.

As a gothic ghost story, The Orphanage drips with unrealized potential. The cinematography is gorgeous and creepy in equal measures, the underlying themes and symbolism adds emotional weight to story's proceedings, and performances given by the principle cast make you feel for the characters and their plight. The story builds to a crushing and bittersweet finale, but that feeling rapidly fades when you begin to think about the story and realize that much of its details don't make sense. Character motivations and actions don't add up, and curious details surface that go unresolved even though they should not. There's even a hidden door that plays a major part in the story, yet it doesn't take much to realize that the details behind the door--who finds it, how it is found, and why it was hidden in the first place--weren't very well thought out by the script writer.

Overall, the viewing experience that comes from seeing The Orphanage is akin to waking up from an intense, feverish dream and then realizing that what you just experienced--regardless of its emotional power--can't stand up to the scrutiny of conscious thought. In that regard, it felt like this movie was just a few script rewrites away from being a better movie. Perhaps if one or more of the secondary characters, subplots or themes had been removed, the total narrative would be greater than the sum of its many parts.

In his review, Roger Ebert wrote that The Orphanage "is deliberately aimed at viewers with developed attention spans". I think that the exact opposite is true: The viewers who pay close attention to the film's minutia will be the ones who find its biggest faults, regardless of how deftly the film appears to utilize the narrative conventions that are common in stories about ghosts and haunted houses. Without giving too much away, it would seem that the moral of The Orphanage is that if anyone ever goes missing in or around a recently renovated building, please be sure to check the building's blueprints before consulting with a psychic. Speaking as a horror fan, this is not the kind of concluding message that any decent fright flick should leave with its audience.

A Look Back at Four Fantastic Giant Robot Games for the SNES

As a long-time fan of giant robot stuff like the Robotech anime series and the Zoids toy line, I'm frequently drawn like a bee to honey to giant robot video games. By "giant robot video games", I'm not talking about any of the Transformers games (where sentient robots fight other sentient robots) or games such as the Super Robot Wars series (where the robots are just pieces that players move around on the board as part of a strategy game). No, I'm talking about games that allow you to control robots that are piloted by people, something along the lines of a Japanese "real robot" anime series. For games of this variety, some of the best were made for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) back in the 1990s. Click below for a list of four SNES games that allowed players to assume control of a big 'bot and lay waste to various digital landscapes and pummel the bejesus out of other robots.

Title: Cybernator
Release Date: 1993
Publisher: Konami

Even though the American title of this game sounds like some kind of low-budget, straight-to-video Terminator rip-off, Cybernator is actually a game that closely adheres to the logic of real robot anime series such as Mobile Suit Gundam and Armored Trooper Votoms. The original Japanese title is Assault Suits Valken and it is the second in a series of Assault Suits games that were released on a number of different game consoles, from the Sega Genesis and the SNES to the PlayStation 2, although only two of the games were released in the US.

An Assault Suits Valken model kit.

Cybernator is a combination of a 2D platformer and a "shoot 'em up" game. Players assume control of a "Federation Assault Suit", a humanoid robot that is armed with various weapons and has jets that allow for limited flight capabilities. The missions in the game take place in both space and land environments, and the mission objectives vary from level to level. Even though most of the enemy's forces consist of robots like yours, you will also encounter tiny human soldiers that shoot at you--soldiers that you can vaporize with your robot's weapons.

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Title: Mazinger Z
Release Date: 1993
Publisher: Bandai

As the title explicitly indicates, Mazinger Z is a video game tie-in to the popular Mazinger Z anime series. This is also the only title on this list that falls into the "super robot" genre of anime, and the only title on this list that was exclusively released in Japan. The game is very faithful to the anime series, with cut scenes featuring the anime's characters and levels populated by enemy robots pulled from many of the anime's episodes.

Mazinger Z is a side-scrolling "beat 'em up" game, much like other licensed tie-in video games from that era. What makes Mazinger Z worthy of inclusion on this list is that it gives players access to many of the titular robot's weapons, including its signature "Rocket Punches". If you're a child of the 70s who waxes nostalgic for the Shogun Warriors toy line, Mazinger Z is the video game for you. Also be sure to check out the Mazinger Z arcade game, which offers a hefty additional helping of super robot mayhem.

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Title: MechWarrior 3050
Release Date: 1995
Publisher: Activision

MechWarrior 3050 is based on BattleTech, a popular sci-fi role-playing game that revolves around giant robot wars. Two licensed BattleTech games were made for SNES: MechWarrior in 1993 and later MechWarrior 3050. The first MechWarrior game approached giant robot combat from a first-person perspective, but the technological limitations of the SNES, no matter how innovative they were at the time, made the game feel like a tank simulator with a few extra features. It also didn't help that the depiction of giant robot combat in BattleTech games is very clunky and ponderous, as opposed to the sleek, fast-paced action seen in most giant robot animes--never mind the fact that a few of BattleTech's robot designs are pulled directly from various anime series.

MechWarrior 3050 switched the game play into an isometric, third person format, and it's much better off for it. Sure, the robots are still rigid and clunky, but they're easier to control and you can watch them blast enemy bases and robots to smithereens. Bliss!

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Title: Metal Warriors
Release Date: 1995
Publisher: Konami

Metal Warriors is very similar to Cybernator in terms of game play, but there are a few significant differences that make Metal Warriors the better game. During the many of the missions, players have to leave their robot armor to access control panels that open key doors or deactivate security measures. (When outside of their robots, the pilots somewhat resemble the tiny pilot figures that came with the Zoids robot kits and the early pre-Transformers Diaclone toys.) Metal Warriors also includes up to six different kinds of robots--each with their own strengths and weaknesses--for players to control, some of which players can switch to during the course of a mission. Leaving the controls of your robot also opens the opportunity for an enemy soldier to steal your robot and use it against you, another challenge that I haven't seen before in other giant robot games.

Metal Warriors' inventory of combat robots.

Of course, Metal Warriors has a lot more going for it than just a selection of playable robot types and robot-less mission challenges. The environments include destructible floors, ceilings and walls that allow you to make your own entrances and exits; the missions vary widely in terms of complexity and objective; and the animated cut scenes will give fans flashbacks to their favorite robot anime series. Indeed, even though it is a 2D platform game, Metal Warriors features the kinds of missions that should have appeared in the Robotech: Battlecry game but unfortunately did not.

The SNES titles listed here can still be found for sale on eBay, for purchase as virtual console games for one of the current home gaming systems, or for download as SNES emulator ROM files.

Follow a Terrifying Investigation of the Supernatural in Noroi (2005)

For some, the horror subgenre of found footage has become the bane of good horror filmmaking. Much like the slasher and zombie subgenres in previous decades, found footage has become the subgenre of choice for aspiring horror filmmakers who have very small production budgets at their disposal. Of course, the talents of such filmmakers vary and while some of them have produced found footage films of high entertainment value, many more have made films that are simply average, below average, or so below average that they are unwatchable.

Even though some found footage narrative conventions have become clichéd due to their recent overuse, I still think that this subgenre has the potential to tell stories that other subgenres can't. As the name suggests, "found footage" is just that--footage that was shot by one person or group and found by another. With so many forms of video technology available these days, the footage could come from anywhere: home video, security cameras, news footage, live Internet video feed, and so on. In other words, wherever a video camera can be found, a found footage horror movie has the potential to be made.

In the case of Noroi, the found footage in question is a documentary that was completed by a journalist two days before he went missing. Unlike most found footage films, Noroi is shot like a documentary with very few "shaky cam" shots. What also sets this film apart from others in its subgenre is the span of time it covers: most found footage films cover events that occur within a few hours or a few days, but Noroi examines events that occur over the course of several months. Such differences result in a different kind of horror movie, the kind that foregoes jump shocks and excessive gore in exchange for an eerie, creeping mood that stays with you long after the film ends. Read on for my complete review.

Noroi is about the last documentary made by Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), a paranormal investigator, and the events that led up to his disappearance. Kobayashi's documentary tracked a handful of what initially appear to be separate incidents of supernatural activity (EVP recordings, psychic visions, spirit photography, etc.) but they all have connections to the sinister occult practices of Shimokage, an abandoned village located in Japan's Nagano Prefecture. The footage in the documentary includes interview footage shot by Kobayashi and his crew, along with footage from other Japanese TV shows about the paranormal and archival footage from 1977.

Noroi is a complex movie with a large number of characters and subplots. For the complete story to make sense, the viewer has to pay close attention to the video clips that are shown to identify clues--both spoken and unspoken--that tie each of the narrative threads together into a complete story. Furthermore, because most of the film's footage is shot like a documentary, it feels like you are watching a horror movie from the outside and looking inward. Almost all of the deaths that happen in the movie occur off the screen, so you'll never see a single scene where a victim is being stalked and attacked by some mysterious threat.

This is not to say that Noroi isn't scary at all; far from it. Director Kôji Shiraishi knows how to build a fragmented narrative that slowly converges into a whole and rewards viewers who are willing to put the pieces together in their minds as the film progresses to its conclusion. Noroi is not an example of cinematic shock, but a layered supernatural mystery that will make your skin crawl if you let it. That said, just because it doesn't feature much explicit violence or gore doesn't mean that Noroi is neither brutal nor gruesome.

Horror fans who love films that are loaded with high-intensity frights and bloodshed will be disappointed in Noroi because it is not that kind of film. However, horror fans who love a good mystery should see this movie, particularly the version that includes the alternate ending. That's the version I saw and I think that calling it an "alternate" is a misnomer; it's actually an extended ending that it delivers a chilling conclusion to Noroi's engrossing, intricate mystery.

Adults Become the Ultimate Monsters in the Vernon Smith's Hide

"Killer kid" stories, stories where one or more children become bloodthirsty murders, has long been a popular subgenre in horror. A few of my favorite killer kid horror movies include Village of the Damned (1960), Who Can Kill a Child? (1976), and The Children (2008). Yet for a many killer kid novels, short stories and movies that there are, there are very, very few that reverse the roles in this subgenre. In other words, while there are plenty of stories about previously normal children becoming relentless and remorseless killers of adults, few dare to depict a situation where previously normal adults become relentless and remorseless killers of children. Not so with Hide, a new comic book series that's written and drawn by Vernon Smith and published by El MacFearsome Comic Squares.

The plot behind Hide is as simple as it is scary: One day, people over the age of 18 decide to go on a killing spree against everyone who is under the age of 18. (By everyone under 18, I mean everyone--no child is spared.) No clear reason is given in the comic (at least not yet) as to why this is happening; even creepier is that the adults still behave normally around each other and only become consumed by a violent rage whenever they see a teenager or a child.

The first issue of Hide is currently available at comic stores, and you can read it online at the El MacFearsome Comic Squares site. According to the site, Hide should total at 140 pages in length when it is finished; judging by what I've seen in the first 22 pages, this is going to be a wildly terrifying ride.

KMD Artistry Restores Two of Hollywood's Classic Human-Insect Freaks of Nature

KMD Artistry, which is owned by visual artist Kelly Delcambre, specializes in restoring and replicating props and costumes that have appeared throughout Hollywood's history. To date, KMD projects have included replicating costumes from Universal's classic monster movies to restoring mechanical props used in films such as the original Fright Night (1985). Delcambre has also designed and produced many cosplay costumes, which are very remarkable in their own right. Yet with me being a huge fan of "Big Bug" movies, I wanted to call attention to one of KMD's restoration projects that is near and dear to my dark, twisted heart: the human-fly costumes from the original The Fly (1958) and its first sequel Return of the Fly (1959). Click below for more pictures of the human-fly monster restorations, as well as a few thoughts about how the restorations compare to the original costumes. All pictures are provided courtesy of KMD Artistry.

KMD's recreations of the human-fly monsters from the early Fly movies speak for themselves--they are very faithful to the original designs. The fly head from The Fly is closer to human proportions to accommodate the hood that concealed it through most of the movie, while the fly head from Return of the Fly is larger and more grotesque to add shock value to the sequel's lean, low-budget script.

Because KMD's fly head recreations are not meant to be worn by actors, additional details were be added to the heads and claws while others were removed. For example, David Hedison could move the fly head's proboscis in The Fly by using his mouth. As you can see from the replica produced by KMD below, the proboscis does not move because there is no one inside the mask to move it.

David Hedison in The Fly ... 

... and KMD's replica of The Fly.

The fly mask in Return of the Fly had two triangle-shaped patches of mesh fabric that were below the eyes, one on each side of the mouth. These patches were put in the mask to allow the actor who wore the mask to see and breathe.

The man-insect monster from Return of the Fly ...

... and the same monster mask on display at the "It's Alive!" Animatronics Exhibit at

the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, 2006.

Note the triangular patches on the lower half of the mask.

Since KMD didn't have to worry about an actor underneath the mask, additional monstrous details were molded into the fly head in place of the mesh patches.

 Kelly Delcambre and his Return of the Fly replica.

KMD's life-size Return of the Fly bust. 

The Delambre-Delcambre connection: Brett Halsey (who played Philippe Delambre 

in Return of the Fly) and Kelly Delcambre at Monsterpalooza 2010. 

Check out KMD Artistry's Facebook page and YouTube channel for more examples for Delcambre's amazing work. Click here for some additional commentary about the original Fly trilogy.