Yearly Archives: 2020

Dr. Phibes has great vibes

Tons of horror movies are hitting the box office these days, but if you’re ever looking to opt for a classic, it’s worth taking a look at The Abominable Dr. Phibes. This 1971 British dark comedy horror film is the subject of Mark Hodgson‘s latest LEGO build. Set in 1920s London, the film’s set design features some gorgeous examples of Art Deco throughout, most notably the grand ballroom of Dr. Phibes’ mansion which has been recreated here. The campy color scheme is well-replicated in Mark’s build. The bubblegum pink, olive green, and purples are spot-on to the original colors of the set design. And as we ascend the staircase, the mechanical masked musicians fill the air with ominous jazz and Dr. Phibes serenades us at the organ. Just like the opening scene of the film, everything in this build screams DRAMA!

Translucent pink 1x2x5 bricks in a cascading formation surround the organ and the lights beneath add an enchanting neon glow to the scene. The translucent black curved windows add a dark overcast feel in the background. Two dead trees and stuffed owls perch on each side of the center stage, fitting the macabre theme. The arch bricks and macaroni tiles throughout the build make this a solid Art Deco build and captures the likeness of Dr. Phibes’ ballroom.

In the mood for some more spooky builds? Check out our archives for some more horror-themed creations!

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A dark and dangerous Star Wars battlefield for 501st legion troopers

The recent release of the 501st battlepack has taken LEGO Star Wars fans by storm. Many bought multiple sets containing the fan-favourite clone troopers for collecting, army building, and for use in their builds. While many built scenes starring the 501st troopers, landscape artist First Order Lego already completed their most iconic and memorable battle. The Battle of Umbara is regarded as the best four-episode story arc of The Clone Wars and is enough to elevate the whole series to Star Wars fans’ favour. In these episodes, the 501st struggle against the natives, the landscape, and even their own in a brutal war story. They showcase that the Republic are not the good guys, the soldiers are disposable, and that the war is pointless and harmful. Thus, people frequently compare them to the real-world inspiration: the United States invasion of Vietnam.

The 501st, led by Anakin Skywalker, advance through trenches and carnivorous plants on this elaborate against the Umbaran natives. The dark terrain and the eerie flora is visually striking, providing good contrast against the white armour of the clone troopers. First Order Lego uses many rubber tires to give a smooth and rounded look to the large spiky plants. Many bladed elements make up smaller plants, and even a few construction parts provide roughness to the landscape. In addition, various transparent parts dot the terrain, providing light and giving Umbara its signature “evil” look. While on the far side, the neon-lit road is a welcome change from the rough black wilderness.

First Order Lego also provides a time-lapse video of this battle scene coming together:

First Look: Unboxing of the LEGO and Adidas ZX 8000 sneaker collaboration [News]

We get a first look at the LEGO and Adidas collaboration of the ZX 8000 with an unboxing video by Highsnobiety. The sneakers was sent by Adidas Headquarters in Germany in customised box for a media reveal.

Click to see the unboxing

The Bricks are Busted!

Builder Paul has struck cartoon character gold again, this time with his LEGO builds of teenage characters Candace Flynn and Vanessa Doofenshmirtz from Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb. Both characters are known for their attempts at “busting” their family members for their crazy antics.

Using a variety of bricks, slopes, and tiles in varying sizes Paul did an excellent job at fashioning these brick-built characters accurately via the SNOT (studs not on top) technique. The most difficult component for these characters to render correctly in bricks would be Vanessa’s more curvy frame as well as the round faces of these particular characters in comparison to the more angular faces of some other characters in the show such as Dr. Doofenshmirtz. I think the tooth shaft in pink which Paul utilizes in order to render Vanessa’s lips is an example of some pretty creative parts usage. What can I say? Paul has done it again, and I as well as many other fans are definitely hoping to see some more brick-built versions of other characters from this beloved television show.

This 3,000+ piece 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina is the next LEGO Star Wars Master Builder Series set [News]

While a few images of the set were revealed in our article last week, today LEGO is fully revealing the next Star Wars Master Builder Series set, 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina. The newest version of the iconic Star Wars location includes 3,187 pieces. It is accompanied by 21 minifigures (plus Artoo), including many characters that have never appeared in any other LEGO Star Wars set. The set will retail for US $349.99 | UK £319.99 | EUR 349.99 starting sales on September 16 for LEGO VIP members and then globally from October 1, directly via LEGO.com and LEGO Stores.

Click to see all the images and read the full press release

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71028 Harry Potter Series 2 Feel Guide [Review]

With the newest wave of Collectible Minifigures, 71028 Harry Potter Series 2, now available on store shelves, that means it’s time to bring you our Feel Guide, the best way to know what you’re buying before you fork over your hard-earned cash. Veteran fans know that LEGO’s blind bags have plenty of tells, and if you’ve got a little bit of patience you can determine each and every figure without opening a single pack. This means you can buy a full set of 16 unique figures without getting unwanted duplicates, and we’re here to help with a downloadable cheat sheet to get you started.

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71028 Harry Potter Series 2 are available now for US $4.99 | CAN $4.99 | UK £3.49. They may also be available from third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay.

Click to see the Feel Guide

TBB Cover Photo for September 2020: Fit for the Gods

This month’s cover photo, from Aaron Newman, features the Gods of Olympus. From Hades to Zeus, Aaron has recreated these Greek Mythological Gods in LEGO, while capturing the essence of what makes each of these mythological characters unique. Hit up Aaron’s blog post to learn more about his approach to each minifig.

And if you’re looking for even more Greek minifigs, Aaron has also recreated some of the most well-known Mortals and Monsters from the pantheon of Greek myth. I’m a big fan of Icarus, who looks to have just flown too close to the sun, but honestly, these all look great.

Submit your LEGO creations for a chance to be featured across TBB social media for a month! Check out the submission guidelines share your builds today.

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I’m a Kaiju girl, in a Kaiju world!

In a not so distant future, everything is blocky and grey. To brighten up the world, MadLEGOman, a scientist at Abnormal Genetics Laboratories has added too many DOTS to dinosaur DNA. The result is a unique Kaiju that no imagination could ever fathom… The dreaded AbbyNormaJeane, which bears resemblance to Grimlock from Transformers with the colour scheme of General Mayhem from The LEGO Movie 2.

Medium azure 1×1 round tiles provide the AbbyNormaJeane her primary colour, her underbelly and feet include some pinks and magentas. Whereas these are scales or armour, her base body is a white canvas that the DOTS cover. In addition, a combination of flex tubes and plates with clips sculpts the creature’s organic shapes. It all results in a funky blend of organic forms and mechanical details in a fun monster build.

Will the rules of LEGO Ideas change with a large number of projects achieving 10,000 votes? [News]

Yesterday a whopping 35 LEGO Ideas projects were announced for qualification review. Earlier this year, 26 sets were shortlisted for also achieving the 10,000 votes required for a submission to be reviewed. Achieving 10,000 votes is no easy feat as we’ve seen in the past, but with the recent support of projects skyrocketing, there has been chatter amongst the community if the rules should be tweaked or changed to bring it back down to more palatable numbers.

Click to read the current decision point from LEGO

Who says science fiction has to be futuristic?

According to legend, Wan Hu was the first man in space. How? By strapping dozens of rockets to his chair and then going for the ride of a lifetime. Well, he made it to space in some versions of the legend, anyway. In a lot of them, the chair (and presumably Wan Hu) just explode on the ground. But no matter which retelling sounds the most likely to you, you have to admire this brilliant LEGO recreation by Bert Van Raemdonck. I particularly like the way that the curved bricks in the robe create a sense of rushing wind. On the explosive edge, the billowing smoke formed by 4×4 domes in white work really well, as do the 1×1 cone bricks in red as the tips of the rockets. Wan Hu himself is just as expressive, with quarter-circle tile and curved slope brick creating the perfect expression of “maybe I didn’t think this through all the way.”

I’d love to see this sort of myth adapted in more creations. We could be on the verge of a complete re-imagining of Classic Space!

LEGO 40423 Halloween Hayride [Review]

Autumn doesn’t really start until later in the month, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get hyped up now for fall festivities. (After months of quarantine, I’m pretty sure time is meaningless, anyway. ) So who’s up for a haunted hayride? Oh. Right. COVID. Staying indoors is still the better part of valor, so maybe not. But wait! LEGO has come to the rescue! 40423 Halloween Hayride is available in North America from the LEGO Shop Online for US $12.99 | CAN $16.99. But is this set a trick or a treat? Read on and see!

Click to read the full hands-on review

Earn 150 LEGO VIP store points by answering a Harry Potter online quiz [News]

LEGO store is practically giving away a total of 150 free VIP store points for simply answering a Harry Potter online quiz. All you need is 6 out of 9 answers right and you’re set to receive them almost instantaneously.

Click for the full details and link to earn the points