ALIEN Nostromo Maquette Model

[aliensarchive]

I've been collecting all the reference I can for this model. Would appreciate it if anybody here knows of any other pictures of this model out there. It is currently owned by Planet Hollywood so it may have been on display somewhere.

http://home.comcast.net/~aliensarchive/ali...momaquette.htm

 

[saintg]

AHH, my eyes.. That thing is horrible.. Good luck with that though.
George

 

[aliensarchive]

:lol

 

[jtparker]

That is so far-off its not even close....horrible...

 

[Ham Salad]

That is so far-off its not even close....horrible...

It's not 'far off', it's a 'concept model'. Haven't you seen some of the early concept models for STAR WARS? They don't look much like what ended up on screen. By comparison, this one is pretty close to what they ended up doing.

 

[ralphee]

I like it, and IF it is the movie concept mock up, even better, its still very Nostromo "based" and i agree, slating it would be like slating the Colin Cantwell X wing for instance, which IMO, is super sexy!
Good luck with the build, i love the 'stromo!

lee

 

[jtparker]

but it doesnt look like the Martin bower or Ron Cobb concepts It is interesting, the problem is, It combined a rough concept shape Cobb made with Bowers far later and far more utilitarian version seen in the final studio miniatures. If you want to see a concept alien, try getting peoples reaction to this....Ron Cobbs Original alien... This is hilarious

 

[jtparker]

Actually that is pretty interesting history. Very cool display you made!

 

[Howard]

Hey AA - have you tried Phil Rae (deraenged)?
His Alien thread can be found here on Mark's site:

http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6146

I thought Martin Bower built this, but I'm sure Phil will be able to help.
I really like this build.

 

[Laser Brain]

Bill and Martin worked together and were business partners at one stage. I've worked with Bill a few times over the last couple of years. I'll ask him if he has any old photos lying around when I'm next at Shepperton.

 

[JD1]

I met Bill once in 1995, and this model actually came up in conversation. He said it was in a shoebox under his bed for ages until his girlfriend at the time asked him for one of his models, and it was all he had to give her.

I've never come across any account that specifies exactly who made it. The majority of miniatures on Alien were collaborative efforts, so it could have been started and finished by different people.

Bill was on the show before Martin, as Martin was committed to a 'Dan Dare' feature which fell through. Bill mentioned in his talk at the 1995 Worldcon in Glasgow that he was on Alien for almost exactly a year.

Phil was only on the show for the last three months, so I'd be pretty certain he had nothing to do with this maquette.

 

[Howard]

Very interesting thread. Thanks for the info JD1!
I'll be keeping an eye on this as I love all the models built by these guys.

 

[Newbie Doobie]

AHH, my eyes!! That thing is horrible!! Good luck with that though.
George

lollollol This thing is SAD!!!! NOTHING at all like the Nostromo of the movie!!!

 

[Nwerke]

lollollol This thing is SAD!!!! NOTHING at all like the Nostromo of the movie!!!

Lay off. It's a few inches long, and would have been thrown together in a few hours. Strictly a concept model. Sheesh. (edit: banned...d'oh)

JD1, were you at the slideshow Bill gave? I was there too, had a few drinks with him later. Great guy.

 

[JD1]

JD1, were you at the slideshow Bill gave? I was there too, had a few drinks with him later. Great guy.

Yes I was! Excellent talk! Remember when he mentioned the stuff they used on Space Precinct, that you brushed onto soft plastics so they'd take to superglue? You could spot all the modelmakers in the room, coz we all sat up and leaned forward! :lol

I wangled an invite to lunch at Shepperton Studios with Alan Marques, Bill, and Steve Begg, and it was there that Bill mentioned the maquette. He also had a story from Outland, similar to the 'Woolworths lampshades made into generator towers' anecdote. I asked him about the Cinefex article which says a moonbase model he made at design school made it onto the Io refinery as detail, and he said it was just a Moonbase Alpha clone, but there was another interesting shortcut taken. They were working out of the workshop at Martin Bower's home, and they received the art-department drawings for a particular structure, and it would've taken half the morning to knock up the basic shape out of wood. Martin said "follow me," so they walk around the house and there's this cat-box that looks remarkably similar to the drawing...

Bill says they didn't even clean it out! Just clad it in plastic and detailed it! :lol

 

[phase pistol]

Did somebody say Nostromo? :cool

 

[phase pistol]

Yes, I know, you're talking about the "maquette" of the Nostromo, and not the "real" Nostromo... :rolleyes

Well I got this... the sketch seems to resemble your maquette more than the final design. This is labeled "Surveyor", so perhaps that was the name of the ship at that time (it was also called Snark and Leviathan at various times)

And the last of my pics in the previous post, shows a yellow Nostromo... it also seems less detailed. Apparently at some point the Nostromo tug became MORE greeble-rific, while the refinery barge that it towed, became LESS ornate. I think. :confused

- k

 

[jtparker]

Cool Pics, the original yellow with the softer detail before the large lower front 3-thruster module was installed GREAT FIND!

 

[Nwerke]

Yes I was! Excellent talk! Remember when he mentioned the stuff they used on Space Precinct, that you brushed onto soft plastics so they'd take to superglue? You could spot all the modelmakers in the room, coz we all sat up and leaned forward!

Oh god! I'd utterly forgotten that, ha ha! IIRC there was more than one bit where a few of us did that, but I can't recall what prompted it the other times. It was a really good talk and deserved a bigger venue.

I wangled an invite to lunch at Shepperton Studios with Alan Marques, Bill, and Steve Begg

Half yer luck! :cool

[ quote]Martin said "follow me," so they walk around the house and there's this cat-box that looks remarkably similar to the drawing...Bill says they didn't even clean it out! Just clad it in plastic and detailed it! :lol[/quote]

Ha ha! Love those sorts of war stories. Ta!

Phase pistol, thanks for the yellow-Nostromo pic, had mislaid my copy, tried to find it last night and couldn't. Appreciated!!

Cheers,
Martyn

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Great pic of the yellow Nostromo, Karl !!!

If you don't mind telling us, where did you find it ???
:love

Fred