Review of Nosferatu - Silent Screamers
One:12 Collective action figure

Introduction

Twenty years ago, Mike Markowitz started a company called Aztech Toys...which morphed pretty quickly into what we know today as Mezco Toyz. One of their first works was the Silent Screamers, a series based on characters from silent horror films. And one of the most popular was Count Orlock from the 1922 film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.

As part of their twenty year anniversary, Mezco released Orlock in their One:12 Collective series. Yes, this review is well behind the original shipment of these figures, because I missed out on the first pre-order. Thankfully, this figure is one which Mezco put up a second pre-order to be delivered much later, and I was able to get in on that. Personally, I don't have to be first but I do want the chance to own great One:12 figures, and I'm very, very happy that they did this. I hope to see them do it more often with their more popular releases.

While the window for this guy is long past, I couldn't help but do a review. I've been buying Mezco figures since the very beginning, and their love for their craft continues to impress.

This guy was available as a bundle for $112. The bundle included a cool t-shirt and a film cell. I won't be discussing them in the review, expect for the section on Value.

Packaging - ****
Orlock and his goodies come packaged in a beautiful tin lunch box, perhaps the nicest one Mezco has done. And if you've paid attention to some of their tin boxes, you know that's saying a lot. The artwork is beautiful, and it is extremely sturdy and well made. This will go on the shelf for sure.

Inside, the figure and accessories are stored in a collector friendly manner in three plastic trays. No issues with damage, no issues putting everything back in place at a later date.

Sculpting - ****
Orlock comes with three portraits, a nice number for any One:12 release. There's the "I'm hiding my teeth to pass for slightly less scary"; there's the "I've got these weird pointed teeth, but I'm not a scary guy" (which also works nicely as a hypnotic face); and of course there's the open mouth, fangs out, "I'm going to suck you dry!" look.

The three heads are all very distinct, and it's more than just the mouth. The veins and wrinkles are more or less prominent, and the eyes - how wide or narrow - are different as well. The detail work on the skin texture is amazing, especially at this scale. Remember, this guy is only a smidge over 6 1/2" tall, yet he has all the realism of a figure twice the size.

The hands are terrific, gnarly sculpts as well, and the work on the various accessories is top notch. The wood grain pattern on the coffin is particularly nice, and the permanently sculpted rats inside are a great touch.

Paint - ****
The best paint work is on the heads and hands of course, and it really makes the sculpting pop. A great paint job can make a lackluster sculpt better - a poor paint job can make the best sculpt suffer.  Here we have the perfect marriage of great sculpt and great paint, and the result is obvious.

As the sculpting of the veins gets more noticeable on the more extreme expressions, so does the paint work. The dark circles around the eyes and pallid skin give the impression of death, while the glossy black eyes remind you of a shark, ready to strike.

Articulation - ***1/2
The one area where I had some concerns was the articulation. The joints are all here, although some won't give you all the mobility you'd like.

The ball jointed neck works well, and the heads swap easily. The heavily padded shoulders are a little restricted, and while the elbows don't have quite the range of movement I'd love, I was able to get some nice, natural arm poses. The hands swap easily as well, and I had no worries about the wrists.

The torso crunches nicely, allowing you to get a hunched pose, and the hips and knees work great. The biggest problem I had was with the ankles, even though the foot is separate from the leg, and the ankle is only covered by the cloth stocking. I couldn't quite get the feet in the positions I wanted, but the joint felt weak so I didn't dare push it.

Accessories - ****
I already mentioned the two extra heads to go with the one he comes wearing. This is always a big boost to this score, particularly when they are so well done.

There's two extra sets of hands as well. Most are done in grasping/reaching poses, but one is a tighter grip designed to work with a couple of the other extras.

He has an old style lantern. While it doesn't light up, the paint job gives it a glowing quality in the right light.  He can hold it aloft easily with the tighter grip hand.

He can also hold the key ring with that hand, and there are a variety of keys, both small and large.

Rats and Orlock tend to get along, and he has six individual friends. Each is slightly different, particularly the tales, and the paint is also used to differentiate a couple.

His biggest extra is his coffin. The wood sculpt looks fantastic, and the interior has a dirt bottom with several more permanently attached rats.  The lid doesn't have hinges, but can sit to the side of the coffin when it's open.

As always, he has the Mezco display stand that can be used with either a foot peg or the larger clear plastic support rod.

The bundle actually includes two more items, but these aren't 'accessories' to the figure itself. One is a t-shirt with a Nosferatu design on the front, and the other is a large (8x10) film cell. The cell is made from thick plastic, and looks great framed.

Outfit - ****
The outfit consists of his boot sculpt, pants, jacket, neck wrap, and sculpted hat.

I mentioned that I couldn't get all the movement out of the ankles that I wanted, but it's not the fault of the boots. The short sculpt looks great, and shouldn't hinder the joint.

The sculpted hat looks fantastic as well, and fits perfectly on his head.  I don't know a lot of vampires who like to wear hats, but Orlock was always an exception.

The pants are a sort of LuluLemon deal, tight fitting and made from a lycra-like material.  The tailoring is perfect of course, and the cover the ankles.

The jacket is the the best feature, matching the on screen look extremely well. The tailoring is about as perfect as you can get, with just the right amount of padding around the shoulders and back to create his unique look. There's also some nicely done wear and tear, aging the coat.

And yes, he's wearing a sort of scarf under there too. You won't see much of it, since it is largely covered by the coat, but it hides the chest and neck, as it should, completing the look.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While I was a little hesitant about getting to crazy with the ankles, I was still able to find plenty of cool poses for this guy. I also know that he's one I'll return to over and over again in the display, looking for new ways to spice it up.

Value - **1/2
The deluxe package with shirt and cell sold for $112 through the Mezco store originally. Assuming you'd pay $20 for most t-shirts, and the cell is another $10 - $15, the figure is in the normal range of $75 - $80. Considering the accessories, it's a solid deal.

Things to Watch Out For -
You may not have the same concerns about the ankles that I did - the joints can vary from figure to figure. But take some care when you first start working with them just to be sure.

Overall - ****
This is an outstanding figure, perhaps the best for 2020.  I'm really happy that Mezco gave those of us who were slow on the initial order a second chance to get him, and I recommend they do that as often as possible.

I would also love more classic horror figures to go with this guy and the Frankenstein they did earlier. C'mon, I have to have a Creature!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ****
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ****

Where to Buy 
This guy sold out long ago - remember, this was part of the second wave. That means you are pretty much left with search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Count Orlock was a popular guy back in the early days of horror collectibles, and Sideshow produced both a 12" figure and an 18" Premium Format statue.

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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