Sea King and spacex apollo recovery by kevin d

Hi,

Here are a couple of shots of my Dinky Sea King during capsule recovery. Kevin

submissions for our 9th birthday bash anyone?

Hard to believe, its the blog's 9th birthday on September 15th. Yay!

If readers would like to submit a galactic picture, contribute a toy article, create a cosmic poster or anything else astronomically vintage that we could feature the week commencing the 15th September then please consider yourself invited to do so.

Let all Moonbase Central readers see your creations and inspirations.

You can me email me with your stuff for inclusion in the Moonbase party week here.

Thanks centrally,

Woodsy

NEW SIXTEEN 12 EAGLES

Remember those fabulous 12" die-cast  Product Enterprise Eagles that ceased production in 2009.

Of course you do. Since Product Enterprise stopped trading, those Eagles have been highly sought after by collectors, and quite right too, they were a great line up.

Well,they could be back - sort of...

Sixteen 12 Collectables have recently announced that they are proposing to release a new set of 12" die-casts Eagles.

Sixteen 12 Collectables formally known as Product Enterprise have plans to create a limited run of special edition sets featuring four individual models plus an intriguing deluxe hangar set.

Each of the sets  would be limited to 1000 individually numbered models, and would feature vehicles and dioramas seen in various episodes.

Assuming the project gets the green light, prices will be announced around September, but that hasn't stopped people already reserving them in anticipation.

Here's a link to the web site, but turn your volume down before you arrive as the music is rather loud...

http://www.sixteen12.com/index_s1999_diecast.html

monochrome t-5

My SpaceX T-5 Tractor on my home-made moon surface.

Monochrome always gives photo's of toys an authentic vintage look I feel.

Do you like black and white toy photos?

mystery vintage toy bubble pack

Here's a brainteaser for you.

This vintage Joseph International Tommy Turtle is packaged in a clear window bubble pack with a blue card base.

This same or similar clear pack and card base was used for a much more well-known range of space toys in the Sixties. Individual vehicles came in the packs although these packs may not have been that common.

Can you name the toy range readers?

strange words for vehicles

There are tons of odd words for vehicles. Some of them crop up in the world of collecting toys. Here are a few that still continue to puzzle me: any offers?

1. Flivver

2. Sharabang

3. Hackney Carraige

4. Jalopy

5. Ford Pop

6. Bandwagon

7. Sedan

8. Coupe

9. Ship v boat

10. Wagon v lorry v truck

11. Juggernaut

12. Rig

13. Fire Engine v Fire Tender

14. Radio flyer

15. Station Wagon

schomburg's spacex molab click tv toy

Continuing the small click TV's thread here's an interesting addition. Its part of a similar thread on the brilliant Alphadrome.

The TV's concerned were exclusives at an Austrian exhibition and you can see the post here

http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/topic/20289-small-space-themed-tvs/?do=findComment&comment=180440

One of the small TV's depicts a vehicle well-known to SpaceX fans, the MOLAB. This particular one is from the original cover art by Alex Schomburg. Anyone got one of the TV's?

You can see Alphadrome's whole thread here:

http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/topic/20289-small-space-themed-tvs/?page=2

post-holiday blues movies

Trying to fend off post-holiday blues I have been hitting the films. The weather's foul here in Yorkshire and the UK News is so depressing so there's nothing for it but to watch movies with the mutt.

Here's a few I've seen on Amazon this week:

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice: 

Well what can I say that I didn't say when I first saw this at the Pictures. It's simply awesome! OK, the storyline's a bit weak but who cares. Everything else is bat-tastically super! What appeals to me greatly is its unrelenting grimness, its unceasing darkness, as if the whole thing was filmed at night. This fits the ominous mood completely. This is no kids film anymore, its a full-on fisted brawl where whole buildings collapse! Missus Moonbase hated it!

I thought Affleck's Bats was inspired. His grim determination to have a bad day is written allover his chiseled jawline and as for his light-up eyes and enhanced growling voice, well, they would give Wolf Man the willies. Henry Cavill was his usual convincing self as the Man of Steel and Lois Lane was suitably downbeat throughout too. The low-key rumble of a musical score was also captivating and unobtrusive. A dark slice of DC for sure and I want more!

My only reservations - and they are small ones: Lex Luthor was a little too manic - the crazed giggles a bit annoying; the Kryptonian Doomsday looked too much like the Cave Troll in Lord of the Rings - he just wasn't scary enough for me - and finally - the musical rock riff motif that could be heard whenever Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman appeared. It just wasn't necessary. Wonder Woman doesn't need melodies. She's just wonderful as it is!

But these are small flecks in an otherwise perfect gem. I cannot wait for Justice League. Move over Marvel, DC is back!

The Wave: 

this was a Norwegian film with English subtitles. It really was excellent. Basically without giving too much away it tells the story of a small Fjord town facing a possible tidal wave. Its lead is a geologist and his family, who are about to leave for Stavanger when ....

It's a beautifully made flick, really well acted and the tension is wound up like a spring. It reminded me a lot of Dante's Peak from years back but with a Norwegian take on things.

Sink Hole: 

a disaster movie starring Starship Trooper Casper Van Dien. A film which sank into its own low-budget special effects fairly quickly along with the pubescent cast as well. It lasted all of ten minutes before I bailed.

World Trade Center: 

I saw this many years ago but owing to its noble content I thought I would see it again. Made five years after that terrible day in September it paints a realistic picture of the chaos in New York when the twin towers were struck. I thought Nick Cage did a good job as the leading man. Where the film stalled was its focus on the men trapped underground. Inevitably not a great deal happens until they are rescued. A noble effort covering a real-life story of the Port Authority Police, some of the many heroes that day. Such atrocities are difficult to make into movies and  - should they be anyway? The list of the fallen in the end titles was heart-breaking.

What have you seen recently readers?