S11.E05: Troubling Transformations

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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The competition takes a monstrous turn as the All-Star teams create two makeups themed after Jekyll and Hyde in the elimination challenge for guest judge John Landis.

Sneak peek:

[starri]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

guest judge John Landis.

I wonder if he's planning on killing one or more of the models.

At least it's not Max Landis, I guess?

[Quilt Fairy]

On ‎2‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 6:38 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

in the elimination challenge

Except this can't be an elimination challenge, right?  Because we had a team eliminated last week. 

[Primetimer]

The designers are called 'crazy' for trying some of these makeup ideas. And that is correct.

View the full article

[Maelstrom]

Aaaand we're back to monsters. Well, it was a nice break while it lasted. Monsters just aren't my cup of tea.

But that being said, Emily and Tyler's makeups were impressive - great paint jobs and the two really matched up quite well. Also, Matt! Squee! (No wonder they won) I even heard John Landis praise that he never broke character. Matt, Megan and Nayeli are the best, most expressive models by far. And so pretty ;)

The other top look wasn't bad I suppose except for that damn arm. I don't care what kind of cheesy B-movie look they were going for, it just didn't make sense to me! He has this skinny, normal-sized bicep that turns into a freaking gigantic forearm? I call fail.

The bottom looks were pretty sad - I seem to remember Melissa always overpainting her makeups in her first year, looks like she hasn't quite learned yet. And though Ben and Evan may be hit or miss, they are both capable of much better than what we saw tonight. Yikes.

I hope Gage and Rachel can get it together, because I liked both of them a lot in their first years, and I'd hate to see them both go. There were so many cool things they couldn've done with a hybrid plant monster, they really didn't take advantage of the possibilities at all.

Looks like a Southern California Mad Max-esque challenge next week. What's with the chintzy previews, SyFy?

[Frozendiva]

I enjoyed John Landis and some of his movie and TV references. He's seen it all.

I agreed with the winning look. Well thought out and well done. The colours were right and it just worked. #2 did remind me of an old Lost in Space/Irwin Allen 60s type creature. The hand/claw was waaaaay too off-scale for the Jekyll/Hyde transformation. Ve remarked about wanting it to be a crab claw and that she was hungry. It just didn't really work. The head was great, though, all bulbous and blistery. The two bottom looks deserved to be there. Yeah, maybe they can do better, but it's getting to be almost half-way through the season. Both non-bad but non-good teams are on borrowed time. The other two - safe but seriously need time to re-group and up their game.

[enoughcats]

I wanted the Hybrid Plant Monster to have been made by a mad scientist, who has an addiction to Margaritas, so he makes his girlfriend a Margarita.  Limes and oranges on one arm, Blue Agave leaves elsewhere and  on the other and  salt crystals around her lips.

Every time he kisses her, it's intoxicating.

Edited February 22, 2017 by enoughcats

[Frozendiva]

I'd be thinking Star Trek's Nancy the Salt Creature.

[GaT]

I liked the idea for this challenge, even if it was monsters again. 

[Richness]

Back to monsters was a bit jarring after two weeks of beauty makeup in a row. Because of that, I really didn't like any of them. What I did like in this episode, was the humor:
I enjoyed John Landis, even if he did like everything. The appendage size comment. Glen likeing the one model's hair since it looked like his. The Brometheus space station, Bro. Little Ve running around everywhere.

However, I'm torn on the matching team outfits. I expect quirky from the Cig and George show, and they did not disappoint with their horrifying daisy duke short shorts. But what was up with Ben and Evan's matching preppy/yuppy clothes? Just no. Stop the insanity now, guys.

 

As to the top and bottom looks, I do agree with the judges. And while the make-up/painting on Emily and Tyler's was absolutely gorgeous, the overall effect wasn't that impressive to me. I think Logan and Adam did a lot more work, with make-up almost as good. Yeah, the giant claw was way to big, but at least the one guy got some redemption.  I know the winner's did a lot of pre-painting on Day 2, which seems to be a good indicator of how well they're going to do. I don't recall if the other top look had also pre-painted so early, though I know another team did. However, that might have been Evan and Ben, so maybe not. So much for that theory.

[Betelnut]

Why were the scientists all male? Seemed kind of sexist. It would have been interesting to have s mad female physicist named Madame Curie. She actually did die due to radiation, I believe...

[starri]

I wonder how affable Vic Morrow and those two kids found John Landis as they were dying on his set.

RIght winner, right bottom two, although George and Cig and their ridiculous shorty shorts probably could have been down there as well.

I don't think I quite agreed with everyone's fondness for Adam and Logan's pieces.  I also didn't agree with the comparison to the Irwin Allen shows; it looked more like Troma and Toxic Avenger to me.  And Adam, you weren't sent home last time for doing a giant arm, you were sent home for ignoring the challenge.

The overly fussy paint job on Team Smurf's makeups was exactly why I didn't care for Melissa the first time.  She's a perfectly good sculptor, but ruins it with too many intricate details when she paints.  Also, it's very rare that someone actually puts out a good insect makeup.

39 minutes ago, Betelnut said:

Why were the scientists all male? Seemed kind of sexist. It would have been interesting to have s mad female physicist named Madame Curie. She actually did die due to radiation, I believe...

The female models are all pretty slight, so it would have been harder without a Ronda Rousey type for the "after."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I miss the non-monster stuff already!

[Monty9]

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Maelstrom But that being said, Emily and Tyler's makeups were impressive - great paint jobs and the two really matched up quite well. Also, Matt! Squee! (No wonder they won)

Well my Boo Matt (mid transition electric shock guy) told me this morning that he really appreciates you being such a big fan of his, and then we made out.

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enough cats: Every time he kisses her, it's intoxicating.

I see what you did there and I applaud you, sir, madam, or beyond.

Quote

Betelnut: Why were the scientists all male? Seemed kind of sexist.

I agree there.

While Melissa's paint was indeed horrible I continue to give Melissa props as one of the few artists that doesn't bitch about having to do "ethnic"makeup.

[Kickboxer]

3 hours ago, starri said:

 

The female models are all pretty slight, so it would have been harder without a Ronda Rousey type for the "after."

Ronda is 5'6" and slender.  I like the beauty/ monsters combo the show has going for it this season and disagree about the talent level dropping. There have always been some obvious clunkers until the last third of the past seasons.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Kickboxer
The extra H

[starri]

Just now, Kickboxer said:

Ronda is 5'6" and slender.  I like the beauty/ monsters combo the show has going for it this season and disagree about the talent level dropping. There have always been some obvious clunkers until the last third of the past seasons.

She's slender, but she's ripped.  None of the female models are anywhere close to that.

Maybe Chyna would have been a better example, may she rest in peace.

[sourpickles]

I have to say, outside of general criticism, I was really happy with the episode, especially after last week. I was glad to see the teams really getting into it and having good backstories, as well as bringing it to the creation stage. Honestly, most of my issues had to do with color palettes. I liked how they all read from a distance, even if some of them had obvious issues close up. I was initially concerned for Emily/Tyler, since I couldn't quite see how their idea for electric shock would translate, but obviously it did just fine. They are kicking ass and taking names, I just hope they don't have an off week! And I love how Tyler is totally bemused by Emily's quirks, it's so cute. I swear we saw more of Rachael and Gage this week than this whole season, which didn't bode well.........and that monster face looked like a walrus to begin with. I found their color off, too. I wasn't as sold on Adam/Logan as the judges, it had an aquatic feel to me, but at least they tried something different, and it was cool. Evan/Ben was by far the worst, too subtle, and again, color issues. Cig/George....again, color seemed "not finished" (what I wrote in my notes), but I'll give them a pass because of the Glenn hair and sheer grossness.

However, if I may pause to make an observation here......memo to C/G and E/B OY, ALREADY with the themed dressing alike. The YMCA shorts and Preppie Hardy Boys (Menendez Brothers?) are not entertaining. It is distracting. End note.

I wasn't as bummed about Keighlan/Melissa as some....I liked the insect, and the coloring, but maybe it was too overpowering. For some reason though, I'm just not feeling those two. The models for this challenge all did a great job, sold many of those makeups, so kudos to them, too. And I know I'm going to get dinged for this, and I'm a fan of his work, but John Landis did not seem to fit as a judge for this challenge. Something about the whole appearance was just off.

Final comments........I know this needs to be moving off this page and I have no idea how to do it, but I was wondering if anyone else was excited to check out Cosplay Melee? I don't know a lot about Cosplay so it'll be a great learning experience, and I thought the highlights in the commercials looked really cool. Anyone?

[enoughcats]

With the ad for Cosplay Melee, does that limit the number of episodes of Face Off we'll get before Cosplay starts, or will there be a one week overlap/lead in?

[LoneHaranguer]

I was a little disappointed that the mad scientist's lab wasn't called a laBORatory, but I suspect somebody besides McKenzie would have had to do it to get the sinister intonation right.

[sourpickles]

2 hours ago, enoughcats said:

With the ad for Cosplay Melee, does that limit the number of episodes of Face Off we'll get before Cosplay starts, or will there be a one week overlap/lead in?

For what I can see, it'll start at ten, after F/O.  I would love that.  With having to get up for school/kids I would rather stay up one night for two hours than two nights past my aging bedtime.  Just saying.  I also did not realize this is a reboot or addition to Heroes of Cosplay, which I did not watch.  So, interesting all the way!

*FROM* what I can see.  Sheesh.

4 hours ago, starri said:

Maybe Chyna would have been a better example, may she rest in peace.

Indeed.  Poor woman had some issues.  Nicole Bass might also have fit this bill, as she was taller and more built than some of your average fitness models, being bodybuilder and all.  RIP to her as well.

[seacliffsal]

I am actually amused by the matching outfits some of the designers wear as it indicates to me that they are having a good time (or trying too hard to have a good time).  I enjoyed the thought processes behind the designs.  However, I am disappointed by the two groups consistently on the bottom as it seems like they have potential, but keep making the same mistakes over and over without adapting or improving.

[WearyTraveler]

12 hours ago, Betelnut said:

Why were the scientists all male? Seemed kind of sexist. It would have been interesting to have s mad female physicist named Madame Curie. She actually did die due to radiation, I believe...

Perhaps they thought the ladies deserved a break since they have had two consecutive weeks of female only models (Monster High and Snow Queens)

[Merneith]

Why are Ben and Evan dressing like Hipsters going to an 80's Preppy party?

Why do Cig & George have matching denim short-shorts?

Why is Emily wearing a tumbleweed around her neck?

Why is that one guy dressed like High School Sky Masterson?

Why couldn't get Keaghlan get matching eyebrows?

I just don't know, guys.

[April Bloodgate]

I was surprised/annoyed that the editors showed two different people saying how tough this challenge was since they had to do two make-ups. In the non-team, non-all stars seasons in which they've all competed, it's normal for one person to do one make-up in that amount of time. So I don't see why two people working on two, one of which is less involved by the nature of the challenge, is a big deal. 

[ratgirlagogo]

Quote

 

Recapper Monty Ashley:Okay, I know I heaped praise on John Landis earlier. And I stand by it, because he's great. But he does have a flaw as a judge, because he loves this stuff too much. This isn't like with some guest judges where it feels like they just edit around any negative comments to make them look good. John heaps praise on everything. 

I loved this because I feel as though he was always able to see excellent work even when it was there in kind of small quantities.:)  The namedropping of both Irwin Allen AND Dwight Frye would have made me a fan of him as a judge even if I felt he had been shitty otherwise - which he wasn't.  He was a friendly and yet KNOWLEDGEABLE judge.  And like Monty I also loved him casually mentioning knowing Ve when she was a young California girl monster maniac.  

I could not see the plant thing at all in the plant monster makeup.  Is there some kind of thing against using green?

[mjc570]

I thought this was an interesting challenge, even though I wasn't really impressed by any of them except perhaps for the winning one.  I have to admit that I am pretty tired of looking at the contestants themselves, some of them are trying too hard, in my opinion, to look quirky.  I would think they would use their own appearance to showcase their skills, but perhaps (actually, quite likely) I am simply not experienced enough to appreciate their looks. Anyway, I thought there was really very little imagination shown by pretty much everyone, which very much surprised me. 

One thing:  I'd like the show's PTB to understand that by delaying results until after a commercial break does not result in me watching the commercials.  It absolutely guarantees that I DVR the show, so that I don't watch any commercials at all, even though I am probably one of the few people who actually doesn't mind watching them.  I don't like being manipulated, though.

I don't mean to sound too negative, I enjoy the show very much, and this episode. 

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, mjc570 said:

I'd like the show's PTB to understand that by delaying results until after a commercial break does not result in me watching the commercials.  It absolutely guarantees that I DVR the show, so that I don't watch any commercials at all

This x1000.  This season is not that interesting to me, so I always DVR while I watch something else.  I flipped to it just before last looks, saw monsters again, watched through the judging and then deleted it.

[LoneHaranguer]

11 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I could not see the plant thing at all in the plant monster makeup.  Is there some kind of thing against using green?

I could see it causing a problem shooting in front of a green screen, which I presume is what they do to get those different backgrounds in the reveal portion of the show.

[frogzapper]

22 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I am actually amused by the matching outfits some of the designers wear as it indicates to me that they are having a good time

I agree - I get a chuckle out of seeing how they dress for the final reveal, especially Cig & George since they seem to be kids at heart and have a great sense of humor! I'm all for folks expressing themselves through their hair and clothing. As someone with purple & blue hair myself, it makes me happy to see so many differently colored heads of hair out and about these days! 

As far as this week's monsters, I wasn't that crazy about any of them, although I did think Adam & Logan's gigantic bubble-skinned creature was impressive. I liked Emily & Tyler's mid-transition electricity look and the way the model really sold the character, but I didn't really understand why the final transformation would look the way it did. Did they explain the rationale behind it?                          

Edited February 23, 2017 by frogzapper

[hincandenza]

On 2/22/2017 at 10:12 AM, LoneHaranguer said:

I was a little disappointed that the mad scientist's lab wasn't called a laBORatory, but I suspect somebody besides McKenzie would have had to do it to get the sinister intonation right.

I know, right?!?  That was irritating to me, because there's no joke if you just say "laboratory" instead of "lab"!  I did like Tyler's little delayed "... what?" after Emily said it looked like her bedroom.  Not that it's surprising: half the people that come on this show are surely into the whole "kitschy macabre" thing.  I wouldn't take a bet against Cig having a shelf in his house lined with, I dunno, baby crow skulls or tiny pig fetuses in formaldehyde jars. Or whatever it is people like that have... :)

 

17 hours ago, April Bloodgate said:

I was surprised/annoyed that the editors showed two different people saying how tough this challenge was since they had to do two make-ups. In the non-team, non-all stars seasons in which they've all competed, it's normal for one person to do one make-up in that amount of time. So I don't see why two people working on two, one of which is less involved by the nature of the challenge, is a big deal. 

Yeah, it's a little bit of work to coordinate, but also considerably less work since you can presumably reuse colors, textures, techniques, fabrication, etc.  

Tangent to that: was this episode the first time they've shown anyone with talking heads during the judging?  While the judges were doing closer looks, they had a bit where they cut to Melissa and someone else commenting on what the judges were seeing/saying.  I've never seen them do that before, but it's like they decided to take the feedback segment from the focus group and make it happen during regular judging.  I kind of like it: it's interesting to see the facetestants react to specific commentary and acknowledge or defend the things they did right or the choices they made.

 

No in depth comment on the costumes themselves: Emily/Tyler were the clearly deserving winners (again), while Ben/Evan were wildly off the map with that muddled, undefined pairing.  I thought their transition look seemed like someone did a papier mache head of Caitlyn Jenner.  Even though it's an all-star season and we aren't seeing nearly the level of trainwrecks, the worst look each week is still pretty bad.  Mostly, it seems to be lack of a clear idea more than any lack of skill or poor time management: having no clear backstory/concepts that they are in love with, there's this tendency to sort of slap together a random set of checklist shapes.  Winners seize an idea- "He's a cello!"- and then fully commit, making cello shapes, cello details, cello silhouettes in pieces of flair, etc.  The losing looks this season are less "Despite an iPad at our table, we somehow have no clue how to make a fox shaped head" and more "How about some kind of... walrus-headed... vagina dentata... monster... thing?".

[LittleIggy]

On 2/22/2017 at 6:20 AM, Betelnut said:

Why were the scientists all male? Seemed kind of sexist. It would have been interesting to have s mad female physicist named Madame Curie. She actually did die due to radiation, I believe...

Amen! I was like "So only men can be mad scientist? Seriously, folks!" 

Have John Landis back. He was awesome.

[Canada]

On ‎2017‎-‎02‎-‎22 at 4:01 AM, starri said:

I wonder how affable Vic Morrow and those two kids found John Landis as they were dying on his set.

RIght winner, right bottom two, although George and Cig and their ridiculous shorty shorts probably could have been down there as well.

I don't think I quite agreed with everyone's fondness for Adam and Logan's pieces.  I also didn't agree with the comparison to the Irwin Allen shows; it looked more like Troma and Toxic Avenger to me.  And Adam, you weren't sent home last time for doing a giant arm, you were sent home for ignoring the challenge.

The overly fussy paint job on Team Smurf's makeups was exactly why I didn't care for Melissa the first time.  She's a perfectly good sculptor, but ruins it with too many intricate details when she paints.  Also, it's very rare that someone actually puts out a good insect makeup.

The female models are all pretty slight, so it would have been harder without a Ronda Rousey type for the "after."

Thank you!  It's a shame that this episode finally had some looks that impressed me, because... John Landis!  Couldn't watch any part with him in it.

[LoneHaranguer]

On 2/22/2017 at 6:20 AM, Betelnut said:

Why were the scientists all male?

There may have been a concern about adding an unnecessary complication to the judging.

[Chyromaniac]

On 2/22/2017 at 9:15 PM, mjc570 said:

I'd like the show's PTB to understand that by delaying results until after a commercial break does not result in me watching the commercials.  It absolutely guarantees that I DVR the show, so that I don't watch any commercials at all, even though I am probably one of the few people who actually doesn't mind watching them.  I don't like being manipulated, though.

This has basically become a running joke in our house: "and the winner is... commercials!" "the commercials always win."  I'd also add that the other reason for the ad break is that it allows them to pad out the show by a minute or so.  But yeah - it's a dumb bit of false drama when A) 90% of the time it's perfectly obvious who's going to win, and B) up until this season (and even now, every other time), winning a challenge has meant absolutely jack.  

[Mabinogia]

28 minutes ago, Chyromaniac said:

This has basically become a running joke in our house: "and the winner is... commercials!" "the commercials always win."

When the commercials win, we all lose. I use "and the winner is..." as my cue to go to the bathroom because I know the commercial is coming. Gives me a little extra time to go do whatever I need to do.

[Arynm]

Dear Lord! I had no idea about the John Landis story! That is truly terrible and I don't know how I have never heard about it. Those poor children and Vic Morrow. I watched the video and I really wish I hadn't.

[sourpickles]

I've been well aware of this for years, and it never loses its impact.  There is a reason there are stricter laws and such in place.  Truly horrifying.  However, while what happened will be locked in time, some good has come of it, and I don't feel there is harm in enjoying other work Landis made.  There were many others at fault for that catastrophe.  Looking forward to tonight's episode. 

[hincandenza]

On 2/22/2017 at 4:01 AM, starri said:

I wonder how affable Vic Morrow and those two kids found John Landis as they were dying on his set.

Honestly, this is pandering or virtue signalling.  I had heard that story years ago but it's not the first thing I think of when I think of John Landis.  Dragging it out literally 35 years later when you aren't even part of the affected families is kind of unseemly.

 

9 hours ago, Arynm said:

Dear Lord! I had no idea about the John Landis story! That is truly terrible and I don't know how I have never heard about it. Those poor children and Vic Morrow. I watched the video and I really wish I hadn't.

It was a tragedy, but it was also by all accounts an accident.  You shouldn't feel bad about not hearing about it; after it happened, a trial was held with a jury and evidence (that likely exceeded what we can find on Wikipedia), civil claims were filed and paid for, and as sourpickles notes below there were changes to industry safety rules.  That's how these things happen, after all: something has to go wrong for us to realize there are other safety measures we can take.
 

9 hours ago, sourpickles said:

I've been well aware of this for years, and it never loses its impact.  There is a reason there are stricter laws and such in place.  Truly horrifying.  However, while what happened will be locked in time, some good has come of it, and I don't feel there is harm in enjoying other work Landis made.  There were many others at fault for that catastrophe.  Looking forward to tonight's episode. 

Exactly. For example, NASA is as button-up and safety conscious as any organization in human history... and they've still had things like the Challenger disaster, all because of a rubber o-ring seal that didn't handle temperature changes well.  I don't feign disgust every time a rocket scientist is shown on TV, because no one is going to give me imaginary brownie points for showing off my false piety.