I have many favourite movies, but my all time favourite has to be Aliens. It wasn’t always; my older brother terrified me as a kid by saying a facehugger would get me through my open bedroom window (which resulted in me refusing to sleep with an open window until my early teens), and the idea of watching any of the Aliens movies was the last thing on my mind. Then at the age of 13 I read an article of how the Xenomorph in Alien 3 was nearly a whippet in an alien costume. And somehow that conquered my fear, and I watched all 3 movies (that’s all there was at the time, it was 1993). And I was hooked.
You regret the things you didn’t do more than those you did
Comics, books, I couldn’t get enough. But the biggest highlight for me was Alien War in the Trocadero in Picadilly Circus. The attraction started in Glasgow in 1992, before finally moving to London in 1993. I remember walking through the outside area of Alien War, and seeing props on display, and was determined to go. Sadly Alien War was flooded in 1996 and it never reopened. I never got the chance to go through, which is one of the biggest regrets. I never managed to catch any of the revivals either. All is not lost I guess. There is the Alien:Escape experience in Madame Tussauds in London, which is based on the Covenant era. Anyone up for babysitting a nearly 4 year old whilst I go?
Since then it has been my ambition to own an M-41A Pulse-Rifle in some form. Between not having the money or not having the time I’ve never managed it. Until now. I just have a bit of work to do.
Yo! Stop Your Grinnin’ And Drop Your Linen!
Hasbro announced a Limited Edition Aliens M41-A Nerf Pulse Rifle last year and after preordering, I finally got mine in October. Now I could leave it as it is, all white and yellow, or I could follow this example. Which I plan to do.
But before I start, I have a choice to make.
Choices, Choices
Made by British armourer, Simon Atherton, there were a number of M-41A Pulse-Rifles constructed for Aliens. Some were functional, made from a M1A1 Thompson, a cut down Remington Model 870, the hand gun and slide sleeve of a Franchi SPAS-12 for the grenade launcher and some custom made parts, but they were very heavy, so there were also lighter stunt versions made to make things easier for the actors. After filming some Pulse Rifles, including the one pictured (without the grenade launcher part) were rebuilt for Alien 3 but sprayed black.
The above rifle is in the Royal Armouries in Leeds, which isn’t that far from me, so I’ll probably go and see it for some inspiration (if I can face the ringroad). It is a screen used ‘stunt’ M-41A Pulse-Rifle, sprayed black for Aliens 3 but then resprayed closer to the original colour at some point. Which bring me to my choice.
Look at the above photo, then look at this screenshot from Aliens.
The rifle looks far more green than the ‘Brown Bess’ colour they actually were. On set lighting made them look much more of an olive drab, which a lot of replicas are painted. So the question for me is – Brown or Olive? Original prop accuracy, or ‘screen’ accuracy? This is where my non-neurotypical ass is going to have a field day trying to decide.
Oh well, I’ve got a lot of sanding to be getting on with in the mean time.