The HellBoy Samaritan

[Tiki]

Okey-Dokey... First off, the disclaimer: I did a few searches to see if there was a thread dedicated to this amazing prop and came up dry (a lot of talk about wanting to buy one, a possible reissue, the new "Big Baby" gun, etc...). If there is already a thread please forgive my poor search skills and shut this one down.

Now the good stuff. Lemmie start by saying my mom of all people turned me on to hellboy. I was aware of the comic books - but I just never got around to reading them. Then the movie came out - I wrote if off as another bad comic book adaptation (don’t go nuts - not all comic book movies are bad - but most of them fall short of the mark for me). My mom ended up going to a matinee, and right afterwords she called me up and we saw it together that night. Wow. I am a fan of make-up effects (worked in the industry for 5 years) and I was blown away by the character makeups and props! Too cool for school. And the gun! Yikes! Since then I’ve read every HellBoy comic I can get my hands on, and am deeply in love with the Hellboy world. I love a well designed prop gun, and for many-a-year the Blade Runner pistol was at the top of my list, but The Samaritan has won my heart.

OK - back to the gun. I’ve got a lot of questions!

I’m curious if anyone out there knows what the screen used hero is made of? Did they cast one in metal for the film?

Did they re-tool the gun for HellBoy 2? I’ve pulled a bunch of screen grabs from the new trailer that feature a “re-load” sequence up close. Gun looks fabulous - do you think it is practical, or a digital insert? The spent shells flying out and smoke look very digital to me.

Does the sideshow replica use a speed-loader like the one in the HB 2 trailer?

Ok - that about does it. I’d also like to say I am deeply impressed with the work of d48thronin, the comic accurate gun is a beautiful thing indeed.

Mahalo,
Tiki

 

[phase pistol]

Here's my Sideshow.

The barrel on the Sideshow is fully bored out, not blocked. Nice touch.

 

[phase pistol]

Here's the Sideshow quarter scale.

 

[phase pistol]

Screengrabs from the Hellboy 1 DVD showing the prop and its speedloader, holster and case.

You can see differences between the Sideshow and the actual prop, for example the prop has a big screw in in the body hinge and a visible trigger pivot pin, both of which are missing from the replica.

 

[phase pistol]

Lettering on the top of the case.

Loading the tracker round.

 

[phase pistol]

"Big Baby", seen in Hellboy 2

 

[silverskyes402]

I'm not diggin' big baby that much, I prefer the original samaritan, and great pics of your sideshow phase pistol!!!

 

[Funky]

Obviously one of my favorite props. :love

 

[CustomCreations]

I missed out on the Official one so I scratch built mine, along with the case.
Loving those B+W pics- never seen them ! I did mine from screen grabs.....
(I do have this as a kit BTW, but my molds are in storage as I am moving house, but I will let you know when it is ready again).
Heres mine:
sorry for the pic size- cant edit it from the site here -oops

 

[Funky]

Pics no workie for me. :cry

BTW, anyone else pre-order the lisenced leather holster rig?

 

[CustomCreations]

Deleted the bigger ones..............

Will try and upload the rest soon.
I do have a mate a Weta, he says the original Samaritan is up in their Weapons rack.
Ill see if he can get me some fresh pics of the screen used one?
I think the ejected cases are def CG, the 'new' gun does look a little different to the V1 gun, esp in its paint.
I dont think they used any existing gun for the original, but it def seemed to fire blanks of some description so it was probably machined in metal(s).

On an interesting thing- in the Library chase in HB1, did anyone else notice he got off more shots than the barrel held ?lol
Dan

 

[barbatus]

On an interesting thing- in the Library chase in HB1, did anyone else notice he got off more shots than the barrel held ?lol

Yep, this mistake was completely unnecessary and unfortunately impossible to ignore :rolleyes

 

[Funky]

What's wierd is that EVERYONE notices that! :lol

 

[Patattack]

What's wierd is that EVERYONE notices that! :lol

Perhaps it's because while you could forgive such an inconsistency in another movie with, say, a six-shooter....the Samaritan clearly only holds four bullets, which is a fairly low number and therefore easier to count!:lol

 

[JOATRASH FX]

Bah! Where's your imagination?!? Hellboy CLEARLY reloads when he's behind one of the pillars.... :lol

The Samaritan (and indeed, all my Hellboy props) are my favorite along with my Firefly stuff. Definitely the last things I'd ever consider selling.

Tip: The Samaritan will take 12 gauge brass shotgun shells if you want to display it loaded and not use the accompanying bullets.

 

[Tiki]

Deleted the bigger ones..............

I do have a mate a Weta, he says the original Samaritan is up in their Weapons rack.
Ill see if he can get me some fresh pics of the screen used one?
I think the ejected cases are def CG, the 'new' gun does look a little different to the V1 gun, esp in its paint.
I dont think they used any existing gun for the original, but it def seemed to fire blanks of some description so it was probably machined in metal(s).
Dan

Really? Did WETA build the original prop? I was totally unaware that WETA had anything to do with HellBoy. I know they were not involved in the practical makeup effects and the bulk of the digital was handled by Tippet Studios and The Orphanage. Did the prop get contracted out to WETA? IMDB lists David Forline as weapon designer, Rick Polikowski as prop maker, and Burk Sauls as "special props" - were these WETA guys? Some amazing mechanics from Rick Baker's were also on they project. I got a great tour thru WETA when visiting some old friends that work there last year and I only saw the sideshow version displayed in the conference room.

After looking at the great still from the DVD (thanks everyone!) I'm convinced that the hero prop is metal - at least the main bits of it. Must of been sooooooo expensive to build! I wonder how they got the wonderful rifling in the barrel - did they machine the whole thing? Build it up in styrene and cast it in aluminum? Cut down and re-work an existing high caliber barrel? Ahhh - the wonderful mysteries we may never know!

Loved the great shots of the sideshow full and half scale replicas - mahalo for posting them!

Tiki

 

[Tiki]

Just dusted of my Hellboy issue of Cinefex with the hopes of uncovering more dirt on the construction of the gun. Sadly, it is never really mentioned. They do go into some detail on the construction of Rasputin's power glove from the beginning of the film. Was there ever an in-depth "art of" type of book put together for Hellboy?

 

[The 48th Ronin]

Was there ever an in-depth "art of" type of book put together for Hellboy?

There was, but it was pretty much just "pretty pictures" - no in-depth 'meat and potatoes' type info or discussion of props and whatnot:

http://www.amazon.com/Hellboy-Movie...r_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199657402&sr=1-17

Really? Did WETA build the original prop? I was totally unaware that WETA had anything to do with HellBoy.

Yes, but that's all they did (the Samaritan). Sideshow actually created the original prototype (non-functional, mind you - just the pattern) and it was sent down to WETA for fabrication. You can be sure that the functional hero was indeed machined out of metal from scratch - no modification of any existing firearms.

I’d also like to say I am deeply impressed with the work of d48thronin, the comic accurate gun is a beautiful thing indeed.

Thanks very much

 

[CustomCreations]

http://www.wetaworkshop.co.nz/services/weapons

http://www.wetaworkshop.co.nz/projects/filmography/galleries/hell_boy

COuldnt get the pics to work on my laptop but the samaritan was up on their site through this link....
Dan

 

[phase pistol]

http://www.wetaworkshop.co.nz/about/crew/galleries/john_harvey