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Introduction
When Sideshow Collectibles announced their sixth scale Beetlejuice figure, they also announced a diorama of sorts to go with him - his tombstone. Straight from the film, this large statue could be bought as a pack with Beetlejuice, which got you $25 off at Sideshow, or on it's own for $125.
I went the pack route, but the pair shipped separately. Quite a bit separately. The figure landed about 3 weeks ago, and you can find my review here. The tombstone just hit this week, completing the set.
This is still available through Sideshow, or you can
pick it up at various retailers for around $125.
Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Packaging - ***
Nothing too special here, but it works well enough. The outer box has some cool artwork based on images from the film (I love the use of the mom's sculpture), and
inside, there is a foam shell to keep the single piece of statuary safe. Batteries are included for the light up feature as well. It's all collector friendly, and
very much like most statue or bust packaging.
Sculpting - ***
The tombstone was seen in the movie of course, as part of the small model of the town. You can see it in this
movie still, and in this promotional shot.
This is one of those sculpts that's generally right, close enough to recognize what it's supposed to be, but on close inspection loses some points. There's the three creatures around the stone, pointing downward to his resting place. They have the right 'look', with their skeletal forms and elongated arms. But details, like the size and separation of the tail on the winged creature, are definitely off model.
The overall texture is designed to look like stone of course, and it's decent enough. However, we see this same sort of thing every year in the Target Halloween section, where they sell resin tombstones with various goofy sayings, usually in the $20 range for something this size.
The stone stands about 10 1/2" tall, if you measure all the way to the top edge of the right wing on the top creature. From the stills, this looks about right in terms of scale.
Paint - ***
It's gray stone, with a wash used to highlight the texture and create a realistic look. There's nothing particularly unique or complicated about this - again, we see it
every year with various Halloween decorations.
The "Here Lies Betelgeuse" text and arrow look good, painted red with decent enough edges and realistic wear. The red also allows for light penetration, working with the light feature quite well.
Light Feature - ***
The feature that sets this apart is the light - just as in the film, the red color is illuminated in ghostly fashion.
Two AAA batteries are included, and slip into a very convenient and easy to use compartment in the base. The switch is also easy to reach, although you do have to pick up the statue to flip it on or off.
While it's easy to use, it isn't particularly bright. You won't notice it at all in normal room lighting, and even with the lights turned down, the effect is quite subtle.
Fun Factor - ***
A statue usually isn't 'fun', but this diorama piece does allow for some additional fun in posing your Beetlejuice figure, whether it's the Sideshow version or a custom
you've had created.
Value - *1/2
At $125, this is not a cheap item. The recent Frankenstein Diorama was larger, more complex, and cheaper at $110. It
didn't have a light up feature, but the sculpting and paint work were much more in line with the price tag.
While the light up feature is nice, the overall impression is far too much like a licensed version of those Halloween decorations I was talking about earlier. I know
that's not completely fair - they'll make a couple thousand of these tops, while they make hundreds of thousands of those various tombstones - but it's still an
impression that's difficult to shake.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - **1/2
If you want a relatively accurate, certainly recognizable, prop piece to go with your Beetlejuice figure, you'll be happy with this. It's not dead on screen accurate,
but it's close, and the quality of the light up feature is reasonable.
But it should be clear from the paragraph above that what you're getting is a whole lot of mediocre at a premium price. I'm sure there's a small production run coupled with license fees to blame, but the situation still hurts my overall.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - **1/2
Light Feature - ***
Fun Factor - **1/2
Value - *1/2
Overall - **1/2
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Sideshow has the tombstone for $125, but if you buy the figure and tombstone together (put them both in your cart), you'll get $25 off the pair. That's $340 for the set.
- or you can search
ebay
for a deal.
Related Links -
Obviously you'll want to check out my review of the earlier companion Beetlejuice figure from Sideshow.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
Discussion:
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.
