2001 - Medicom HAL 9000

That's a really strange product. For 1300 bucks you'd rightfully expect something that looked just like the HAL props in the movie.

But it's clear that they actually modelled this product after the Dennis Gilliam replica, not the movie prop itself. And they faithfully copied two errors.

First, the HAL logo is undersized with a black outline around it.

Second, the grille (which seems to have a visible speaker, interestingly) is perforated with too many holes. It also lacks the wave texture seen in many views on the movie.

Yet despite those issues they seem to have got the proportions/shape right - they didn't replicate the squat faceplate that Gilliam constructed.

The whole thing really is strange, though. Not just the insane price, but the HAL 9000 prop is frankly an incredibly simple design. The way it looked is right there - on screen! Yet no commercial version has ever got it right.
 
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It’s a hard pass for me there other HAL9000 that do the same thing for heck of a lot cheaper. It’s look alright, but not $1300 nice. Agreed there are no effects, sound nothing for 1300 smackers. For that price Artisans here can create one for a far more reasonable price and still make a profit.
 
The Moebius model kit is under the Christmas tree for my son right now. That and a cheap sound recorder/speaker preloaded with some dialogue. I’m satisfied at about $45 total. I can’t see paying an extra $1,250 or so, but everybody likes different stuff.
 
For that high you figure they included several sound bytes from the movie. He’ll make it a Bluetooth speakers etc etc to justify the price. I have a Moebius kit with light and I think it’s cool without breaking the bank. I agree if you like different things and have deep pockets get it. Sorry Dave I cannot do that…L
 
So I contacted Medicom to let them know of the errors in their product. Hilariously and sadly they insisted that there were “various” HAL props in the movie and that they reproduced one of them.

Hilarious and sad because it means that they almost certainly came across photos of the Dennis Gilliam replica somewhere, and thought it was the real thing. Very unfortunate for customers who will unwittingly be buying an inferior product.

I asked if their product has a metal frame and a glass lens, which might conceivably go some way to justifying their exorbitant price, but I haven’t heard back on that point.
 
nkg said:
So I contacted Medicom to let them know of the errors in their product. Hilariously and sadly they insisted that there were “various” HAL props in the movie and that they reproduced one of them.

Hilarious and sad because it means that they almost certainly came across photos of the Dennis Gilliam replica somewhere, and thought it was the real thing. Very unfortunate for customers who will unwittingly be buying an inferior product.

I asked if their product has a metal frame and a glass lens, which might conceivably go some way to justifying their exorbitant price, but I haven’t heard back on that point.
Click to expand...
My goodness. That is pathetic :lol:

If you don't hear back about the frame and the glass; that'll be the answer.
 
Well, I have no interest in buying one, nor in helping their bottom line. That’s all irrelevant to me. However I have done a lot of research into that particular prop, and I know how their reproduction is wrong.

And I’d simply like to increase the amount of replica prop accuracy in the world. :)

Wouldn’t it be amazing for a company to make a product that was actually basically right?
 
I made one for my Dad a few years back that had some off the shelf electronics installed. Not only did it light up and play four different audio clips, it had a motion detector in it. If you walked past it the prop played one of the four phrases. I made it for under $100. So when I see that price, for a 10 cent LED, a resistor (pennies a piece) and a bit of wire... all I can think is "duck off".
 
Incidentally, the Japanese website says, machine-translated:

"Reproduce the back part that can not be seen in the play!"

This is a third aspect that suggests they erroneously copied the Dennis Gilliam replica, thinking it was the real thing, since Gilliam's piece has a really large black box behind it. No other replica that I've seen does.

MEDICOM TOY - PROP SIZE HAL 9000

PROP SIZE HAL 9000
www.medicomtoy.co.jp

It also says that they have an "aluminum frame", but that the replica lens is acrylic and not glass.
 
13doctorwho said:
I made one for my Dad a few years back that had some off the shelf electronics installed. Not only did it light up and play four different audio clips, it had a motion detector in it. If you walked past it the prop played one of the four phrases. I made it for under $100. So when I see that price, for a 10 cent LED, a resistor (pennies a piece) and a bit of wire... all I can think is "duck off".
Click to expand...
you should do a run and make yourself some money mate. yours sounds a lot better;)
 
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