Merry belated Christmas!
I'm not sure there's any direct connection between Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror or Dracula and Christmas, but there have been a few versions of the story that were released around Christmas (last year's Nosferatu was released on Christmas day) and it was quite common to tell and read spooky stories during Christmas in the Victorian era, so I think we've got a bit of a connection here. This version of Count Orlok is based on the F.W. Murnau's classic 1922 silent film and does come in a mostly black and white color scheme. It's the third version of Count Orlok that they've released in the One:12 Collective line with the other two being a version in color (called the Symphony of Horror Edition) and a sepia toned variant (called the Silent Screamers Edition). I missed out on the earlier ones, though this one is certainly a very ideal release as well with plenty of extra portraits and other goodies. I've loved Count Orlok since I was quite young and saw clips from Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror on television. He's still one of the most unnerving and disturbing characters in horror cinema, an impressive feat considering Max Schreck's performance is now over 100 years old! Ready to check out Mezco's most recent take on Count Orlok? Then join me after the break...
Height: 6 1/2 inches
Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbowsm swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.
Accessories: 5 swappable portraits, 7 swappable hands, display base, articulated posing arm, foot peg, storage bag, lantern, key ring w/ keys, 6 rats, coffin, coffin lid, cloak, and 2 hats.
Non-Scalper Price: $112
The Packaging:
* The box is collector friendly, though it's not as much of a draw as some of the One:12 Collective packages. It has some cool art of Count Orlok in his various looks on it as well as the gold foil "Mezco exclusive" sticker.
The Positives:
* This is a pretty impressive take on Count Orlok. It feels very accurate to the movie in regards to the costume and proportions, though the portraits are slightly exaggerated with Mezco's own stylized take. I really like how this guy turned out as his soft goods garments really do feel like they add to the figure here. Despite having a nice amount of articulation and close that aren't really inhibiting his movement, Orlok feels like there's a stiffness to him that suits the character well. His outfit fits him very well and definitely is of an impressive quality. The color uses more colors than just black, white, and grey to capture the look of the black & white film character; there's even a touch of brown in his jacket that looks like it belongs. The previous two Mezco Count Orlok figures had jackets that were very tattered at the bottom, but this one retains the neater look of the actual silent film.
* Here's a closeup of Count Orlok's jacket. I love the snaps across the front (they're not functional) and how the coat looks unnaturally long and thin, like his torso. The color sits on his shoulders and the feel of the material is excellent. The color is great with just a bit of staining or wear across the bottom.
* His black pants are just plain black with a bit of dust and dirt on the bottom of the legs. Nothing special, sure, but they look like they fit well and they go nicely with his funky shoes.
* This is the most "normal" head of the five included. It's a bit caricatured or stylized but it's clearly recognizable as Count Orlok and it has all of his defining features. The bat-like ears are creepy and the mixture of the odd facial expression and piercing eyes definitely will leave you unsettled. There's an excellent wash and some good paint effects on all five of the portraits to really bring out those details. All five portraits are reused from the previous figures, though each of the two prior releases only had three portraits apiece. This set gives you all of them.
* The second portrait isn't showing his fangs. Instead, they're tucked inside his mouth, though hiding them like that really draws attention to Orlok's elongated face. He looks a bit angry here, perhaps as if his orders are not being followed to his liking. The eyes on each figure are impressive, showing off Orlok's hypnotic gaze.
* The box is collector friendly, though it's not as much of a draw as some of the One:12 Collective packages. It has some cool art of Count Orlok in his various looks on it as well as the gold foil "Mezco exclusive" sticker.
* This is a pretty impressive take on Count Orlok. It feels very accurate to the movie in regards to the costume and proportions, though the portraits are slightly exaggerated with Mezco's own stylized take. I really like how this guy turned out as his soft goods garments really do feel like they add to the figure here. Despite having a nice amount of articulation and close that aren't really inhibiting his movement, Orlok feels like there's a stiffness to him that suits the character well. His outfit fits him very well and definitely is of an impressive quality. The color uses more colors than just black, white, and grey to capture the look of the black & white film character; there's even a touch of brown in his jacket that looks like it belongs. The previous two Mezco Count Orlok figures had jackets that were very tattered at the bottom, but this one retains the neater look of the actual silent film.
* Here's a closeup of Count Orlok's jacket. I love the snaps across the front (they're not functional) and how the coat looks unnaturally long and thin, like his torso. The color sits on his shoulders and the feel of the material is excellent. The color is great with just a bit of staining or wear across the bottom.
* His black pants are just plain black with a bit of dust and dirt on the bottom of the legs. Nothing special, sure, but they look like they fit well and they go nicely with his funky shoes.
* This is the most "normal" head of the five included. It's a bit caricatured or stylized but it's clearly recognizable as Count Orlok and it has all of his defining features. The bat-like ears are creepy and the mixture of the odd facial expression and piercing eyes definitely will leave you unsettled. There's an excellent wash and some good paint effects on all five of the portraits to really bring out those details. All five portraits are reused from the previous figures, though each of the two prior releases only had three portraits apiece. This set gives you all of them.
* The second portrait isn't showing his fangs. Instead, they're tucked inside his mouth, though hiding them like that really draws attention to Orlok's elongated face. He looks a bit angry here, perhaps as if his orders are not being followed to his liking. The eyes on each figure are impressive, showing off Orlok's hypnotic gaze.
* This third head is incredibly frightening and shows Count Orlok in a fit of rage, or perhaps in a bloodlust. Just like with the vintage Silent Screamers line, Mezco has taken the look of the classic film and ran with it, injecting some of their own style into the character. It's pretty impressive, especially with how his eyes are almost bulging out of his skull and veins are more apparent on his bald head.
* Check out his mouth and teeth, too. The mouth is actually hollow, meaning those individual teeth are each sculpted. This is very creepy and just some excellent detail work.
* The fourth portrait depicts Orlok in a full on demonic bat appearance. Yikes! This almost reminds me of something from Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula as it's just an absolutely wild look, but I love it applied to Count Orlok. That wider jaw looks like it has become unhinged for maximum biting and sucking and the nostrils have grow and shifted to be more bat-like, along with the ears growing as well.
* The fifth and final portrait shows Orlok being burned by the rays of the sun after being tricked by Ellen Hutter. In the original film he just disappears in a puff of smoke but this version shows him with patches of burned skin, showing a black, scorched skull underneath and his full set of teeth bared behind missing flesh. Heck, even his right ear has burned off. It's wonderfully gruesome and a fitting end for a being that is just pure evil.
* Check out the cool hat that Count Orlok can wear on a few of his portraits. NECA's Orlok included one, too, but this one is actually felt, so it's kind of fuzzy. It stays on well and really looks impressive. It's an interesting way to tackle the hat but I'm impressed with the results.
* Another hat? Yes! This time it's the hat with a massive feather that Count Orlok wears near the beginning of the film when he's disguised as the coachmen who picks Thomas Hutter up. This is a pretty swanky hat, right? It fits on most of the heads and pairs nicely with the included cloak.
* The coachman's cloak is a large, oversized soft goods robe that is quite easy to put over Count Orlok. It has a large mantle and seems designed to keep a coachman warm and dry while travelling in the elements. It's held on in two places by Velcro and there are two slots in the sides for his arms to slip through. The bottom of the cape has a dusty look to it as it's clearly been dragged across the ground over the years.
* The cloak does have some wires along the back, allowing you to pose it blowing in the wind. It's definitely very dramatic!
* This lantern is excellent. It looks very old and with a globe made of stained glass. Since it's black and white, however, you're just not sure what the colors should be. The handle is a removable piece and does allow the lantern to swing realistically when held.
* Orlok's key collection is also included: Eight keys on a metal ring. The keys have a variety of sculpts and come in multiple sizes. If you want to, you can pull them off the ring and put them back on, though be careful; they're tiny and would be easy to loose.
* Seven swappable hands are included, all of which nicely depict Count Orlok's long, slender fingers and deadly sharp nails. There is a curled right hand, a right hand claw with more open nails, a pair of relaxed hands, a right hand with burns on it from the sun, a left hand for holding the lantern, and a grasping left hand. The hands are very easy to swap and with just a bit of care you shouldn't have any concerns.
* Here's a look at the bottom of the coffin. The detail on the wood is excellent with lots of variation in the grains, damage, and how evenly the boards sit.
* The lid is also pretty substantial with a break in the boards at the top. When you put Count Orlok in there with just a little tilt of his head, you can see him peeking out. Spooky!
* The inside of the coffin lid is just as detailed. Heck, you can even see the pieces of wood laid laterally across, bracing the rest of the boards.
* Count Orlok fits inside perfectly! Here's a shot of him peering out through the crack in the lid. Very spooky stuff.
* Here's a look inside the coffin. It's filled with plenty of his home soil and rats. Lots and lots of rats.
* Orlok's coffin is filled with rats. They're all over the place, spreading the plague of his evil. I counted 14 sculpted rats in the coffin in three different shades.
* Want more rats? OK, you got more rats. Mezco also included six additional rats that you can place anywhere. The vintage Silent Screamers Orlok also came with plenty of rats, so this is a cool nod to that figure. You get six different poses here and a few different shades of fur color. Henry Jones Sr. will not be pleased!
* Like nearly every other One:12 Collective figure, Orlok comes with a display stand. It's a huge piece with a (removable) foot peg and the "Nosferatu 1922" logo across the top.
* You also get the standard articulated display arm that can be inserted where the peg is (you just have to remove the peg). This is well articulated and you can get some great, secure poses here as the joints are very nice and tight on the display bar. It can absolutely support the figure's weight if you want Count Orlok to fly through the air in his bat-like form. It's a well crafted piece and better than any other stands of the sort I've come across.
* The little spare parts bag is also included. It's a Ziploc style bag and there's even a spot on it where you could write the name of your figure to help keep things organized.
* My only negative with this figure has to do with the coachman's cloak. One of the Velcro fasteners is messed up. Instead of having one loop side and one hook side, I've got two hook sides, meaning they don't really fasten together. Bummer!
Looking for more of Count Orlok? I've also reviewed the Aztech Toys/ Art Asylum Graf Orlok from Silent Screamers, NECA's Classic Horror Series Count Orlok, and the Funko Vinyl SODA Nosferatu.
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