S07.E09: Serpent Soldiers

[Tara Ariano]

The artists create snake-inspired supersoldiers who would fit into the world of G.I. Joe.

[Bella]

I love snakes (at a distance) and felt like most of the artists didn't do them justice. How can you not dp a great creature based on the albino reticulated python?

[Rhetorica]

I thought the judges only had one save - guess not. They saved Sasha last week and again tonight when she did a repeat of her owl. I think she should have gone this week. 

[Portia]

I don't have any special affection for GI Joe or snakes, but I liked how refreshingly different this challenge was. I'll probably have nightmares tonight, though, because of all the trypophobia triggers in this episode. I can handle monsters and gore, but not those creepy crevices and holes in the snake faces!

I was happy with Dina's win and 100% on board with Kaeghlan's elimination. I thought her character just looked like an old woman.

[frenchtoast]

I need to work mimsy into my everday vocabulary. "SB, your homeworks is kind of mimsy, you need to add a little more to it".

 

That was a terrible color for Neville. Mustard is a hard color to carry and Neville doesn't.

 

I was surprised Dina won because I liked Cig's and Drew's better. And I was glad to see Drew validated, though I can completely understand him sweating bullets.

 

Sasha and the vocal fry is getting tiresome. I hope this is a growing up moment for her, because sheesh.

[drmka9]

I loved that Dina got the win tonight. Everything about her makeup was fantastic. I think I just have a disconnect with Cig's stuff, though. I can see that it's generally good, technically speaking, but something about it leaves me cold. I'd love to see him do a subtle makeup, even just once. All of his stuff is so big and over-the-top that it's beginning to feel like he can't do anything else, which I don't think is the case.

[rho]

I thought the judges only had one save - guess not. They saved Sasha last week and again tonight when she did a repeat of her owl. I think she should have gone this week. 

 

I think by saving Sasha last week, she got immunity this week. It would look bad on the judge's part to save her and then vote her off the following week.

[GaT]

They really had to work to link up G.I. Joe & snakes IMO, I felt like McKenzie just pulled the snake part out of the air. 

 

I think by saving Sasha last week, she got immunity this week. It would look bad on the judge's part to save her and then vote her off the following week.

Yep, that's exactly what I think too. I'm not sorry to see Kaeghlan go, at least now I don't have to see that hair/eyebrow color combination again, & I don't have to try to remember how her damn name is pronounced.

[green]

Right person went home.  Sorry for her but that was one of the worst jobs all season let alone tonight.

 

I liked the "action figure" one the best but the winner was okay as I'd rate it second behind the green/red action figure one.  Didn't like the minimalist one.  Think "doing something different" was just a rationalization and not something visionary.  Looked like something you'd see in almost any video game.

[iscoffy]

The plastic eyes on Cig's were not looking so hot, even if he had the most "action figure" look.  Those plasticy eyes never seem to come out right, no matter what trickery people use.

 

I wonder how much prompting was required to get the "proper" level of excitement about the GI Joe prize package?

 

Glen's "buttoned down" look was super hilarious to me for some reason. 

Edited September 17, 2014 by iscoffy

[seacliffsal]

I hope the judges think twice about the use of the 'save' after this.  For the first part of the episode I couldn't believe that Sasha asked every single other contestant to help her.  So, no idea how to accomplish her vision and interrupting all of the other contestants equals being save worthy?  And yes, one of the delightful aspects of this show is how the contestants are willing to help each other-but they should not feel obligated to do so.  I was hoping that the judges would eliminate Sasha this week for repeating a look, but I do agree that the albino snake was worst.  

 

One thing I really appreciated was hearing specific criticism from the judges that was really helpful to correct mistakes.  Lois mentioned how to use grey on the albino to make the colors pop more (of course, I don't know how that would work, but I totally trust Lois).  Glen also had some good advice (although I'm blanking out on it right now).  The judges treat this seriously and respectful versus judges on other shows (it's not sexy enough...huh? [reference to Project Runway]).

 

George, as always, just seems delightful.  I am enjoying this season.

[Spooneroonie]

Cig's didn't look like a snake at all. I thought it was a really good rendition of the lead character in Thundercats.

 

I'm not sorry to see Kaeghlan go, at least now I don't have to see that hair/eyebrow color combination again, & I don't have to try to remember how her damn name is pronounced.

 

No kidding. She seems to have a "too much color" problem. Her hair (which is cool) and eyebrows are both the same tone of blue, and her snake was highlighter yellow. All of it. Feline nose aside, there wasn't enough contrast to make it work.


[hincandenza]

First thought: Glenn got a haircut!  Between the kitties and now this, he's really pulling out all the stops to woo the female viewing audience.  :)  The judges were really on point this week, as was Michael Westmore; I love the specific suggestions he'll offer, such as the very quick yet totally accurate critiques and hands on "editing" of Sasha's non-snakey snake mask. 

 

How these people struggle with sculpting when they have pictures right in front of them will never make sense to me; I'm not particularly artistic, but I could tell immediately why a sculpt wasn't working (too human, lips, not wide and boxy enough to signify "snake head", etc). I'm also not a fan of the "face mold and nothing else but a costume" style.  I tend to give more weight to the head to toe complete costume loaded with clever details like Cigs.

 

That all said, I can't really argue with the judges choices too much this week, although I might have given the win to Cig as most "action figure" like; the bold forms and bright colors seems more fitting to the challenge, and as mentioned I like the loads of details.  Still, Dina churned out a very beautiful paint job (her sculpt to my eyes had the same bulky skull shape as Rachael's "baboon"-like python) and bonus points for including the G.I. Joe/Cobra style leather outfit with Cobra logo belt buckle!  That did help sell the whole thing as a true G.I. Joe costume, more than "ninja" or whatever it is people throw out there.

 

This also means I've surprised myself and done a 180; last episode, I defended Sasha's save and suggested Dina should have gone home instead (or been saved), along with suggesting that one of Cig, Keaghlan, or Sasha would join George and Rachael in the final 3.  This week?  Argh... it really showed how wrong I was!  Dina just picked up her 3rd win of the season, and iwth only 1 bottom 3 apperance is as viable a candidate as any left.  And while Cig did turn out a makeup that I think could easily have won, Keaghlan has deservedly gone home after three bottom 3 appearances in the last 4 challenges including this week's ineptly sculpted, poorly painted disaster.  And Sasha was in the bottom again, and showing the strain of this competition on someone of her youth and inexperience- and as seacliffsal noted, was bugging other people to help her!  And then I was surprised the usually reliable Rachael was with them, and honestly deserved it too. 

 

Hopefully Rachael bounces back, as this was her first misstep all season; only George has now avoided the bottom 3, and those two are still my picks for the finale unless they completely implode.  I did have a little chuckle when Rachael was voice-overing about how she'd hate to be sent home for a look she didn't even like. To me, I'd rather get booted knowing "Yep, I effed up, and didn't do enough _____ or spent too much time ______ing".  That seems far preferable to the alternative of adoring a makeup, only to have the judges eviscerate you and send you packing,  In that case, you don't even fully get what you did wrong. so you can't improve it in your larger career.

 

I had never minded the blue eyebrows of Keaghlan, but her makeup seemed especially overdone this week and she looked older than her 24 years.  Also, I'm pretty sure Lois was crying a little (!) when Keaghlan was leaving, which surprised me.  And until I saw the final makeups in the second half of the show, I'd not have guessed her to be going home.  From the editing, and heavy focus on Drew this week, I thought for sure he'd be either the outright winner, or gone.  They played up the fact that this was the first time he's even been in top looks, so just getting there was his Everest I guess.  That said, in my opinion his top look makeup should not have been there; at best safe, but he clearly was rewarded mostly for going outside the norm from the snakeheaded hybrid.  Still, it felt less snake soldier than crusty punk who's way too much into body modification.

 

An aside: this show is usually just about perfect in its structure and design- compelling, good casting, great judges, interesting challenges- but one thing that bothers me is that they almost never give someone any kind of break if something goes wrong outside their control.  I mean, when they tell someone like Stella on day 2 that their model has strep and they're going to give her a new one, that's gotta be incredibly frustrating for her.  It looks like they also made no effort to find a model with even a remotely similar face and/or build, either.  I think to be fair, she should have been allowed to spend another say 2-3 hours at the lab to resculpt as needed.  But in the end, she managed to pull it off (I'd have kept the cowl; I liked it, and it had shades of Cobra Commander's famous visor and helmet combo), and seemed pretty happy to just be safe.

Edited September 17, 2014 by hincandenza

[Primetimer]

Everyone makes new snake-inspired recruits for G.I. Joe. It's product placement, but at least Face Off's upfront about it.

Read the story

[Winnief]

 

but one thing that bothers me is that they almost never give someone any kind of break if something goes wrong outside their control.  I mean, when they tell someone like Stella on day 2 that their model has strep and they're going to give her a new one, that's gotta be incredibly frustrating for her.  It looks like they also made no effort to find a model with even a remotely similar face and/or build, either.  I think to be fair, she should have been allowed to spend another say 2-3 hours at the lab to resculpt as needed.  But in the end, she managed to pull it off (I'd have kept the cowl; I liked it, and it had shades of Cobra Commander's famous visor and helmet combo), and seemed pretty happy to just be safe.

 

Agreed.  I for one would have been really pissed off if Stella had ended up in bottom looks this week but I think she managed cope quite well with the change in circumstances.

 

Agree that Sasha is irritating as hell, but Keaghlan's piece was the worst by far and her dismissal was warranted.

 

Dina, (Former cake decorator) is now possibly my favorite contestant, (though it may be a tie with Stella,) and looking like she could go all the way.  Hell, between her, Rachel, and Stella, it could be all girls for the final three!  (Or even Sasha in the final three-she may annoy me, but she could pull it together to do some good work in the next few challenges.) But Cig does great work too and his snake was certainly the most action figure like-I just felt like Dina's was the most breathtaking makeup.  

[Portia]

Yep, that's exactly what I think too. I'm not sorry to see Kaeghlan go, at least now I don't have to see that hair/eyebrow color combination again, & I don't have to try to remember how her damn name is pronounced.

She'll always be KEG-ha-LAN to me.

 

 

How these people struggle with sculpting when they have pictures right in front of them will never make sense to me; I'm not particularly artistic, but I could tell immediately why a sculpt wasn't working (too human, lips, not wide and boxy enough to signify "snake head", etc).

When Mr. Westmore was showing Sasha that her nose was nothing like the real snake's nose, I expected her to exclaim, "Oh, I get it . . . I'm supposed to make the thing look like the other thing!"

 

 

I hope the judges think twice about the use of the 'save' after this.  For the first part of the episode I couldn't believe that Sasha asked every single other contestant to help her.  So, no idea how to accomplish her vision and interrupting all of the other contestants equals being save worthy?  And yes, one of the delightful aspects of this show is how the contestants are willing to help each other-but they should not feel obligated to do so.

She should have been treading very lightly with her fellow contestants, who might have been the deserving recipients of the save had it not been squandered last week. Instead . . . argh . . . again with the whining!

 

I'm not an expert on competition shows, but the only show on which I have approved of the "save" system is American Idol, where it can be used to save a great contestant who didn't get the votes because of a fluke or because the American public is stupid.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Portia

[snakenax]

I actually kinda liked Keaghlan's, it wasn't good but I liked the overall look. My least favorite was probably Rachael's. Cig's didn't do anything for me, like his Armagator, Chumslasher, Angkor Wat alien and Big Tuna mobster it was basically a big immobile showpiece and at this point i'm just getting bored of those from him, he needs to mix it up more so it's not just big bulky immobile piece after another. Dina's was amazing, I just loved it. Drew's was good, a more subtle snake hybrid(though probably not the best representation of a Cobra style snake hybrid). Stella's I wanted to like more, but it obviously just didn't fit right so the face was all off and weird.

 

Damien I feel like is ready to go at any time now. He put out one okay-ish make up that won him a challenge against what was generally really poor competition that episode, but otherwise he's been mediocre to bad.

[Reishe]

Glen's "buttoned down" look was super hilarious to me for some reason. 

I know, right? My first thought was "Does he have a job interview to get to after the show?" But in the end he can wear whatever he wants, b/c we all respect his opinions and advice.

[Bella]

 

I'm not an expert on competition shows, but the only show on which I have approved of the "save" system is American Idol, where it can be used to save a great contestant who didn't get the votes because of a fluke or because the American public is stupid.

 

I think the save has a place in competition shows, because it can be applied to someone who has an off week despite having a superior body of work. In fact, I was positively thrilled when Project Runway introduced the Tim Gunn Save. But I don't feel like Sasha lived up to the confidence the judges placed in her. If anything, it made her more nervous because she seemed to feel that expectations were now higher, which they probably were. When she's eliminated, it will be because her indecisiveness and fear trip her up, not for lack of talent.

[dialyn]

George seems to have the most fun in this competition (though I'm a little disturbed about his short shorts from the clip for next week). 

 

 

How these people struggle with sculpting when they have pictures right in front of them will never make sense to me; I'm not particularly artistic, but I could tell immediately why a sculpt wasn't working...

I don't get this either.  They had big screens in front of them. They had photographs to use as references. And still Sasha couldn't see what was wrong with the face of her snake or, if she did, she couldn't seem to figure out how to fix it (which Westmore did with a few waves of his magic fingers).  Keaghlan's paint job looked so sad when you think about how bright and vivid the actual snake was.  Several of the snakes somehow looked more feline than repetilian.  And is there an excuse for not seeing how scales look on the snake?

 

Actually I thought Drew's minimalistic approach was pretty effective.  It was relatively subtle but he got extra points for doing something different--I get a little tired of what are bascially painted masks.  The actor beneath the makeup was having a grand time playing the punk assasin, which counts for nothing but makes it more interesting. 

 

While I thought the prize was fairly lame (well, it would be for me), I enjoyed this episode and agreed with the results.  In a dull television season, Face Off is the highlight of my week.

[snakenax]

The only thing I disliked about Drew's is he put the hood up on it. His best work was the tattoos, which were completely hidden under the hood. Reminded me of when Rashaad's vampire had that great work on it's cheeks and ears that were completely covered by a wig.

 

I've figured out my issue with George's anaconda. His idea is good, get the idea of the anaconda by muscling the guy out. But he didn't go nearly far enough, he needed to bulk out the musculature a lot more to just make him look rippling with power like a anaconda, instead he made a typically slim build model look slightly less slim.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

So, no idea how to accomplish her vision and interrupting all of the other contestants equals being save worthy?

No, doing good work earlier in the season does. If this show is like other reality competitions, they're shooting everything back to back, so they're doing two "weeks" every week. If Sasha can get a handle on the stress that's creating, she could bounce back. Some contestants in prior seasons have.

 

 

I mean, when they tell someone like Stella on day 2 that their model has strep and they're going to give her a new one, that's gotta be incredibly frustrating for her.  It looks like they also made no effort to find a model with even a remotely similar face and/or build, either.

How did the replacement wind up being a petite woman after we were told at length that one contestant had to change his plans because there weren't enough female models to go around? If the producers are going to engage in shenanigans, they should have stayed consistent and given Stella a male model.

[qtpye]

I was happy with Dina's win and 100% on board with Kaeghlan's elimination. I thought her character just looked like an old woman.

 

 

I actually thought K's model looked much better with the mask on and the make up was horrid.  I know K said she was a Barbie girl, but that mask made her character look like a female Destro (sp?).

[mlp]

 

I was happy with Dina's win and 100% on board with Kaeghlan's elimination. I thought her character just looked like an old woman.

 

Ditto.  I thought her model looked like a dessicated old woman painted bright yellow.  I didn't understand the mask on a stick at all but I'm not into action characters or superheroes and none of the judges questioned it so I guess they understood it.  I don't know what Keaghlan's problem is that she makes herself up to look so awful but I'm glad I don't have to look at her any more.

 

My favorite look was Cig's but I have to admit that it wasn't very "snakey."  Dina did a better job of that and her work did look great so I was happy for her getting the win. 

 

Sasha may have talent but she's much too immature for a competition such as this.  I hope she goes soon.

[Nutjob]

I love George. The guy just seems to have SO MUCH FUN, and also looks like he could be the lost member of Mastodon.

 

I was kind of surprised Dina's won--I was sure Cig would get it, because of all the "real action figure" comments. That said, I think all of the top 3 were deserving. I think it's gonna be Cig, Stella and either Rachael or (I hope!) George in the finals. (And who could've predicted I'd be rooting for a guy named Cig Neutron?)

[snakenax]

Assuming they don't completely blow it compared to their previous make ups, i'd put Cig, Dina and Stella as the likely top three. But because at least one probably will mess up, George and Rachael have a good chance too. And Drew could always sail in via safetitude.

[Corporal Agarn]

Hey, I'm finally gonna post here after moving over from TWOP.
The save would have made sense this week, had Stella been in the bottom.  She would have had a good excuse, as she's been pretty consistent and was thrown a truly unfair curveball this week.  However, the bottom looks were much worse than hers anyway.
I wasn't a huge fan of Cig's, but I did get the whole "action figure aesthetic" the judges quite enjoyed.  No qualms with Dina or Drew being in the top.
Good Lord I hate clowns, so I am looking forward to being scared silly next week.


 

[CherZ]

Glen's "buttoned down" look was super hilarious to me for some reason.

 

 It reminded me of a school boy uniform. Maybe he's a Slytherin.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who thought "Thundercats" with Cig's or "Old Woman' with Keaghan's.

 

I think Rachael is becoming my new fave. She's been pretty consistent and this time knew what she had done wrong.

[drmka9]

How did the replacement wind up being a petite woman after we were told at length that one contestant had to change his plans because there weren't enough female models to go around? If the producers are going to engage in shenanigans, they should have stayed consistent and given Stella a male model.

 

My guess is that they rotate the available models for each challenge and include a male and female backup. The models likely aren't always all available, for one. I'm also pretty sure that a designer getting the same model each week would be an unfair advantage. Sculpting on the same face or knowing the model's personality could be a huge difference in the success of the makeup.

[Kaoteek]

Glad to see Dina get the win, I liked her piece. In fact, I had no problem w/ the jury's decision re : both the top 3 & the bottom 3, this week.

Sasha keeps on grating, though, and being very bland/muddy, as far as her work goes ; also, how many "ninja/snake hybrid" were there, really... *sigh*

[Maelstrom]

Glad Dina won (despite some missteps she's been one of my favorites this season), and especially glad that Cig's didn't. I'm sorry, I'm just not a fan of his work or his crazy hats. Too bad Stella didn't keep the helmet, it I think would've added to the makeup.

 

I figured one of the Manic Panic girls would be going, and I think they made the right choice - Rachel saved herself by admitting hers wasn't very good. I was glad they saved Sasha last week, since she's done some pretty cool pieces in the past, but she needs to get her act together pronto. I don't think they'll save her another week. (Perhaps she's contracted Miranda's Whine-itis after Miranda's return to the studio the other week?)

 

Mini-rant alert: why did all the of the female soldier characters have their long flowing locks loose?! That shit's gonna get in the way! Loose hair that should be tied back is one of my pet peeves for some reason - probably because I have long hair and know exactly how often it gets in the way if I don't pull it back. It always bugs me on So You THink You Can Dance, too. How are they supposed to dance with all that hair in the way?! [ /rant]

 

Now that I know Glenn is a secret cat-lovin' softie (yay Glenn!) I feel kind of bad making fun of his hair. Good thing the makeups were more or less entertaining this week, so I didn't have to resort to snarking on his hair to entertain myself.

[Mindymoo]

I loved the way that Dina did the scales with the broken popsicle stick. That was really clever, and I adored her overall paint job. Me and the missus were crossing our fingers during the judging that she would win. And I was happy that Stella, despite the curveball thrown her way with the sick model, still was able to turn out a decent looking design. The women really are killing it this season, Sasha and Keaghlean notwithstanding.

 

ETA At least with Miranda, she had a lot of talent, and you could mute the whining. Sasha is just all over the place. She hasn't blown me out of the water the way Miranda had to justify in any way her whiny behavior. (And I HATE whiners.)

Edited September 18, 2014 by Mindy McIndy

[carrps]

The plastic eyes on Cig's were not looking so hot, even if he had the most "action figure" look.  Those plasticy eyes never seem to come out right, no matter what trickery people use.

 

I wonder how much prompting was required to get the "proper" level of excitement about the GI Joe prize package?

 

Glen's "buttoned down" look was super hilarious to me for some reason. 

I think Glen was wearing a British military sweater. I watch a lot of UK TV shows, so I've seen a lot of 'em. Guess it was a tie-in with the G.I. Joe theme.

 

My choices for the winner and loser were Dina and Keaglan (I've been calling her Kegle), so I agreed with the judges since they agreed with me!

[morakot]

First thought: Glenn got a haircut!  Between the kitties and now this, he's really pulling out all the stops to woo the female viewing audience.  :)

 

 

AND he wanted two action figures, one to keep in the box and one to play with.

[ramble]

I hate snakes. Hate. It's only been in the last few years that I can see a picture of a snake & not feel physically ill. I couldn't have done the snake studying for the challenge. I'd like to say at least it wasn't monsters but *shiver* snakes. I fast forwarded through most of the first half of the show to get past so much snake imagery. Eww.

I was glad Dina won. I liked the action figure snake okay, but found the colors clownish. I was glad to see teal eyebrows go. I couldn't watch her talking heads without being distracted. Although I wished they would've invalidated Sasha's save & sent her home as well. After her complete confusion with the pulling up her socks comment last week I realized she really is what she's portraying. Sigh.

ETA: I though Glenn rocked that sweater. It was a nice change & it fit him correctly. Pretty soon he may start smiling more often. Go Glenn!

Edited September 18, 2014 by ramble

[OakGoblinFly]

Good Lord I hate clowns, so I am looking forward to being scared silly next week.

 

Clowns freak me the hell out and I don't know if I can watch next week - 

[Rhetorica]

Clowns freak me the hell out and I don't know if I can watch next week -

I hate clowns! Especially since living in Chicago with John Wayne Gacy's legacy.

http://www.halfmanhalfmovie.com/iPhone/news-crime-ip.html

[Josette]

Cig had an unusual snake.  I can see the details he pulled from it in his design.  I thought Dina's looked a lot like an alien head, but it was beautifully painted.  It was a toss-up between them.

[catdfraser]

How did the replacement wind up being a petite woman after we were told at length that one contestant had to change his plans because there weren't enough female models to go around? If the producers are going to engage in shenanigans, they should have stayed consistent and given Stella a male model.

 

It is more than likely that due to the nature of the competition, they don't reserve all the actor/models for each challenge. As contestants are eliminated it would not really make fiscal sense to pay the same number of models they had from the start for each challenge rather than just whittling down the number. Also, I am fairly certain the actor/models likely have other gigs they do and therefore appear according to availability as well. It makes sense that although Cig had to change his plans at the last minute, it would still be a heck of a lot easier to do so seeing as they were still only at the sketching stage. Unlike Stella on Stella on Day 2. There would be a significant amount of change to be made if it was a gender swap on Day 2. They probably just asked other actress/models that were not previously reserved for the day if they were available and she was the one to step up at the last minute.

Also, Dina has been my #1 pick since Day 1. I still have issues remembering any of the other contestants the next day. Even though her makeup last week was not her usual stellar work, it was, dare I say it, memorable. I cannot remember what any of the other makeups looked like. Not even the winner. That is, until the recap before the opening credits.

[rho]

An aside: this show is usually just about perfect in its structure and design- compelling, good casting, great judges, interesting challenges- but one thing that bothers me is that they almost never give someone any kind of break if something goes wrong outside their control.  I mean, when they tell someone like Stella on day 2 that their model has strep and they're going to give her a new one, that's gotta be incredibly frustrating for her.  It looks like they also made no effort to find a model with even a remotely similar face and/or build, either.  I think to be fair, she should have been allowed to spend another say 2-3 hours at the lab to resculpt as needed.  But in the end, she managed to pull it off (I'd have kept the cowl; I liked it, and it had shades of Cobra Commander's famous visor and helmet combo), and seemed pretty happy to just be safe.

 

I know this is an amateur competition but in the real world, these pieces are rarely sculpted onto an individual. Except for the lead actors, these pieces are mass produced because you can't take a life mold of every extra. I think she did a great job under the pressure, but I hope it leads to more variety in future seasons. I know Skin Wars is a thing now but I would love if someone did something more like Mystique's makeup that is totally impressive but still highlights the model's natural features.

[paramitch]

I felt so sorry for Stella this week, not least because she went from a pretty strong model, to what is for me easily one of the show's worst models. That girl just has a tiny tiny head and face, and she just looks so bored and unenthusiastic. It's such a striking contrast to the wonderful girl model who played Sasha's owl, and to the tall African American model who again just brings so much to his performances. There are a few other models I notice from week to week, but this week I just felt bad for Stella at the huge difference between the two -- yet I was also glad she was able to pull it off and not need special support, either.

 

I need to work mimsy into my everday vocabulary. "SB, your homeworks is kind of mimsy, you need to add a little more to it".

 

I agree -- I thought Lois's comment was ridiculously cute and now I want to start saying it too. She's a pleasure to have on the panel and really fits right in -- she isn't as approachable as Ve, but she has a similar warmth (of course, besides the fact that this is one of the sweetest judging panels on TV anyway -- love the fact that they don't feel the need to insult the designers as venomously as so many other shows do).

 

I loved that Dina got the win tonight. Everything about her makeup was fantastic. I think I just have a disconnect with Cig's stuff, though. I can see that it's generally good, technically speaking, but something about it leaves me cold. I'd love to see him do a subtle makeup, even just once. All of his stuff is so big and over-the-top that it's beginning to feel like he can't do anything else, which I don't think is the case.

 

I felt the same way. I loved the translucency and texture of Dina's, the way it shone. It looked camera-ready right then and there.  Cig's always looks good to me from afar but up close just looks very rough to me, not nearly; performance-ready.

 

I hope the judges think twice about the use of the 'save' after this.  For the first part of the episode I couldn't believe that Sasha asked every single other contestant to help her.  So, no idea how to accomplish her vision and interrupting all of the other contestants equals being save worthy?  And yes, one of the delightful aspects of this show is how the contestants are willing to help each other-but they should not feel obligated to do so.  I was hoping that the judges would eliminate Sasha this week for repeating a look, but I do agree that the albino snake was worst. 

I did feel for Sasha slightly at first, as she seemed to want so badly to justify her save more than simply "staying in." It appeared to me that she wanted the judges to feel they'd made the right choice, so that her panic was in some ways as much about respecting the judges (and not embarrassing them) as it was about herself.

 

With that said, I admit that I'm over Sasha now. I was an apologist of hers for a long time but despite the fact that her owl was one of the most wonderful things I've seen on this show, I've finally had it and simply think she's not ready for this. She definitely isn't someone I'd hire on a production because she cannot stand up for herself or her point of view.

 

First thought: Glenn got a haircut!  Between the kitties and now this, he's really pulling out all the stops to woo the female viewing audience.  :)  The judges were really on point this week, as was Michael Westmore; I love the specific suggestions he'll offer, such as the very quick yet totally accurate critiques and hands on "editing" of Sasha's non-snakey snake mask. 

 

How these people struggle with sculpting when they have pictures right in front of them will never make sense to me; I'm not particularly artistic, but I could tell immediately why a sculpt wasn't working (too human, lips, not wide and boxy enough to signify "snake head", etc). I'm also not a fan of the "face mold and nothing else but a costume" style.  I tend to give more weight to the head to toe complete costume loaded with clever details like Cigs.

After the Judges' round, I am totally crushing just a little on Glenn. It's been fun to come around on him -- at first I really thought he was arrogant, but as the show has relaxed into its own groove (without feeling the need for mean judges or hateful goodbyes), it's been fun to see him become more technical yet supportive in his criticisms. I think he seems like he's probably a pretty cool person to know in real life (but then so do all the judges, especially Ve, as well as McKenzie and Michael).

 

I loved seeing the beautiful snakes here and didn't understand why people didn't refer more actively either during creation and sculpting. I agree that it's frustrating to see people buckle when they have immediate reference, but I think, to quote someone from last week's thread (on why Dina had trouble with the evil reindeer), the problem here was more about how people could fit a snake's sinuous, flat skull and pointed muzzle onto a big round human head and face versus just sculpting a believable snake head. However, I find it even more interesting and intriguing watching them have to balance that, and I always love it when MW comes in and immediately offers clarifications and improvements on how to address those things. And ultimately, I'd put this as one of the most deceptively tough challenges they've had on the show.

 

Dina, (Former cake decorator) is now possibly my favorite contestant, (though it may be a tie with Stella,) and looking like she could go all the way. Hell, between her, Rachel, and Stella, it could be all girls for the final three!  (Or even Sasha in the final three-she may annoy me, but she could pull it together to do some good work in the next few challenges.) But Cig does great work too and his snake was certainly the most action figure like-I just felt like Dina's was the most breathtaking makeup.  

 

I'm rooting for Dina so much. Aside from her brain-freeze on the terrible evil reindeer last week, she's done consistently beautiful work. She has a color sense and visual elegance that remind me very much of Laura's work and point of view, and she also is usually a pretty good sculptor as well (although Laura is probably stronger there). But I like the whole cast this season and am really enjoying the creative varieties of the challenges -- you can tell FO is really trying hard to test them on more than just monsters this season.

Edited September 19, 2014 by paramitch

[aradia22]

I skipped last week. I had a DVR choice to make and I don't regret skipping a horror challenge anymore. I don't think the snakes really presented a major challenge or source of inspiration. There's only so many places you can go. It's not like wolves (or the other challenge I can't remember off the top of my head) where you have to really consider how you can alter the shape of the actor's head/features without building an immovable mask. And yet we still got so many masks! And not just masks, but bad masks. 

 

I still can't remember all their names but I think Katy Perry deserved to go. It's debatable if she was the worst but there was nothing great about what she managed to present. I was not impressed with the minimal makeup John Mayer presented. Maybe it read better in person. Dina was the clear winner for me as well as the only one who made something decent. Captain whatshisface made an OK action figure design but there's no way an actor could emote out of that and it looked fake... like an action figure brought to life. It didn't have the lacquered look of plastic, maybe more like the stuff that dinosaur toys are made out of. I don't know what Luna Lovegood was thinking repeating the feather detail for scales. She saw a snake in person. She knows what they look like. It seems like they only kept her because they had just saved her. Purple hair's model ending up looking like a cross between a crocodile and a duck. Very unfortunate. She could have easily gone home too. I watched the episode a day after it aired and only a few days later I have zero recollection of what George made.

 

Oh, and I appreciated Michael Westmore getting in there and fixing Sasha's piece. He usually gives useful advice (certainly better than Tim Gunn and other mentor figures) but sometimes I want him to help more. I guess it's hard to balance help with an unfair advantage.

[bilgistic]

The grown woman with the sense of humor of a 15-year-old boy, I snickered at "solid tube of muscle". Along that same line, Cig's facial hair looks like pubes, and more and more wildly woolly each week. (I love George's beard, though.)

[Richness]

Sorry for resurrecting last week's thread, but I've been having computer issues. With that out of the way, I agreed with the judges on the top and bottom looks. Also, can I just say I love the Cig and George show. Now if only Cig would tone it down with the hipster hats, I'd be totally happy.

 

Speaking of Cig, I'm disappointed he didn't win. While it made for a great action figure, it didn't look as snake-like as several of the others. That's disappointing because he had such a unique looking snake too. I wonder if he would have won if he got a female model?

 

What's bothered me about Dina's win is that the black catsuit her model wore reminded me too much of the Baroness, except with a snake head. Granted, that snake head was gorgeous and expertly done, but I couldn't look at the character without seeing the Baroness.

 

That's why I *LOVED* the minimalist approach Drew took. Everyone always complains about monsters, monsters, and more monsters. Well, someone finally gave us a subtle beauty make-up when everyone else did snake creatures.

 

I really wish Stella would have kept the cowl since it did look so much like Cobra Commander's helmet.

 

Good riddance to the Crayola lady. I couldn't stand looking at her any longer. The only thing that would have been better would have been if Sasha had went instead.