It's that time again...

 

Another friggin season of "Face/Off". Frankly, I swore it off when Tate got second place for a SECOND jip in the Rookies/Vets/whatever season, but unfortunately that doesn't mean I don't still catch myself watching it anyway. I will say that last season was actually pretty impressive and I'm glad I didn't throw in the towel all together. I'd rather another season of "Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge" (spoiler alert on that link BTW)-- way more up my alley specialty-wise as an amateur prop and creature maker. The name is a mouthful, but I learned a lot of cool tidbits.

Anyway...

It's still ridiculous how fast the new seasons are  coming out and I swear I'm going to go blind if McKenzie doesn't tone down the wardrobe (as if being blonde and tan is blinding enough) but, yeah, I'll be watching.

Season 1382423791... (ok, I looked it up) Season 7 premieres tonight at 9PM (EST) on SyFy.


Click the pic for a 30 second preview of the new season.

Twisted Treasuries #3: House of 1000 Faces

  

Since this inadvertently became a Face Off kind of week, today's Twisted Treasuries is dedicated to the fine art of mask making...

First up is a mask by Matt Valentine from season 2. I favorited his etsy shop eeons ago and didn't even notice it was him till now. There's a new version of his Burtonesque challenge mask (tied for #2 on my Face Off Top 5) and a bad ass (non-sparkly) succubus, but I find myself drawn to this guy:

by MattValentine

There's a nice array of latex crazies by Nick Petty of Lost Souls Dept. on etsy. There's a Marilyn Zombie, a Dark Elf, but this Baphomet mask takes the cake for epically creepy. Gotta love a god that brings his own altar...

by LostSoulsDept 

I love this zombie, and his voodoo doctor smirk. It's classic and simple. And affordable!

by coffinhunter13 

Anyone who knows me knows I can be pretty Anya when it comes to rabbits. I'd imagine Lauren's mask comes as close to representing what they really look like beneath all that cute and cuddly bunny fluffinstance as you can get.

by RaezorBladesLauren

I love a good pig mask. Started with my swine flu epidemic themed haunt a few years back.This guy would've been so perfect!

by NowOrTrevor

Speaking of pigs.... The Shoggoth Assembly's been all over the Haunters and Halloween blogosphere lately and rightfully so. Probably better known for his skinned horror face masks and affordably priced disarticulations, his works are some of the most absolutely phenomenal, realistically detailed and inspired atroscities around-- his pig mask doesn't fail to impress. Check out those hairy warts!

by shoggothassembly

Lots more lovelies in the treasury, found HERE...

Face Off Follow Up

(click for the episode if you missed it... mini-spoilers ahead! you've been warned...)

So what did you think about last nights epic hour and a half premier of Face Off? We've already had a couple teary eyed interviews (Tommy looked terminal throughout the entire challenge), a salacious team challenge drama, a walk off and some pretty kick ass designs for....(wahhhwahhhwahhhhhhh) a Star Wars challenge.

I'm so sick of that franchise I could scream. 

Yeah, I said it. I liked the originals, don't get me wrong, but aliens, space ships, and galaxies far-far away (oh wait, was that Star Trek?) for the most part, just aren't my thing. When they announced the challenge, I have to say my heart dropped a little, but this is Face Off, they'll pull something out. And low and behold, even little old alien blase was impressed. The show has definitely sunk its vacuformed teeth in for what's presenting itself to be a promising season...

I'm pulling for the women this season (ok, when am I not?) and judging from tonights episode, I really think these chicks (Laura, Nicole, and Sarah especially) have what it takes to kick in some balls and take over yet another traditionally male-dominated industry. Here's hoping the curse of the pink hair doesn't strike again and ruin their chances. Nobody with pink hair, or any shade of unnatural crayola vibrance for that matter, EVER lasts long on television, have you noticed? Season one, pink hair was first to go. Just a couple weeks ago the pink/leopard print quaffed Buffi received her "auf wiedersehen" on Project Runway. They had me worried for a bit that history was going to repeat itself as a certain jewel haired duo fought to pull their creature cowls from the molds, but they managed. And beautifully, may I add.

My only concern is this: with Joe gone, who's going to fill the role of the villain this season? God. What a d*ck! Am I right? When he reached over and swiped Tommy's work off the sculpt, man I wanted Tommy to slam his head into the work table...


What's Up for Next Week
Spoiler! It's pirates... wahhhwahhhwahhhhhh. *heart drop*

Ill Willed Productions

Found Tate Steinsiek's directors reel on youTube:



His short film, Clown
The 2 minute Grindhouse Episode My Winter's Coat
The official trailer for the film The Devoured

He's one busy dude. Check out the webpage for SFX company Ill Willed Productions HERE.

1313FX

Happened upon Tom Devlin's FX company 1313FX, which has his Face Off inspired "Teddy Made Me Do It" mask :

and a Fuzzy Wuzzy-hairless version "The Bad News Bear":

There are some other cuties too...

"Frankenswine"

"Scarecrow Jack"

"Porcia Lynn"

Actually, there's a slew of fabulously fearful faces at pretty phenomenal prices (I was kinda floored...) all with blacklight and "clown it" options available. They also have "mask packs", which is pretty swank if you've got a theme going for your haunt. Farm of Fear and The Twisted Toy Box collections are my favorites. I'd love to have those mounted on my wall in lieu of taxidermy.

Want to learn to make your own? Tom hosts his own How-To DVD, making monsters with easy to find, wallet-friendly materials. Believe me, those words are music to a home haunters ears. 



Face Off Top 5

I absolutely love the practical effects shows gracing the air waves of reality competition shows in the last few years. It's the closest I can get to a craft show that really encompasses my kind of glue gun. If I had it to do over again, I probably would've gone to Tom Savini's F/X school or someplace similar instead of studying photography and English at the obscure little college that I did. Instead, I worship at the prime time famed feet of  Monster Man's Cleve Hall on Syfy and Ed Edmunds of Distortions Unlimited on Travel Channel's Making Monsters (which, according to the online haunters rumor-mill, have both been renewed for encore seasons) and drool over the brilliance of the make-up effects artists that come to compete on Syfy's Face Off.

Or, in the case of Tate, from season one, I just drool. :)

*yum*

With the advent of the season 3 premiere tonight, I present to you my top 5 favorites of the last two seasons...

5. The scarecrows from the Return to Oz challenge were equal parts cool. The pumpkin top, however on Tara Lang's make-up was the detail that won me over completely.

4. Tate Steinsiek's werewolf for his re-imagined tale of Little Red Riding Hood for the final spotlight challenge "Twisted Tales" was pretty great. How can you not love Tate a werewolf? The fact that he went white with the design made me love him it even more. I didn't necessarily like the red LED eyes though, which knocks it down a few pegs for me. Still, if it weren't for Connor's damned air bladder in his Frog Prince make-up, Tate would've (and should've) taken home the grand prize.

3. From the season 2 "Burtonesque" challenge, RJ Haddy's bellhop was just flat out awesome. The interactive hat with the bell, the drawers built into the chest piece... amazing. Made Ve blush too as I remember.

2. Number 2 is a tie for me. Both are sweet treats from season 1 and 2. First being Gage Hubbard's interpretation of the Hansel and Gretel Story. The make-up, the costumes, the set-- all equally  and deliciously disturbing.

Season 2 Matt Valentine's ice cream man (another entry from the "Burtonesque" challenge) was just as scrumptious, though as I recall, he didn't feel 100% finished. You can't deny, it was still a stunner.

1. My personal all-time favorite make-up, hands down was season 1 contestant, Tom Devlin's "Teddy Told me to". The idea was so inspired! I really liked his style and his imagination was easily as up to par as Tate's. Too bad he didn't make it all the way to the final spotlight competition, I would've loved to see what he came up with.

HONORABLE MENTION: I may be a little biased, cause I love anything zombie, but I thought all the zombies (with the exception of Megan's perhaps-- Tom really got the shaft that episode) from the first seasons "Dancing Dead" episode were great-- the song was a little grating, but what're you gonna do? 

I especially loved the home invasion, housewife zombie.

(click the pic for a peak of the zombie concepts)

Hmm... I believe that was Tate's win for that one. Coincidence? ;)

What were your favorites from Face Off?



A sneak peak of tonights premiere can be seen HERE
The Dancing Dead video is HERE