Tag Archives: Alex Eylar

“You’ve always been the caretaker, Mr. Torrence”

A thing that Alex Eylar does really well with his LEGO creations is set a mood. Sometimes, often actually, that mood can be deeply unsettling. You don’t need to read the title to know this is an iconic scene from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Here we see an already deranged and inebriated Jack Torrence taking family advice from a ghostly Delbert Grady. The advice in question was chilling and unwholesome, even for 1980 standards; and let’s just say nothing went well for anybody. It turns out this wasn’t the only deeply unsettling bathroom scene in the movie. Alex, if you go on to build the nightmare fuel that was the green bathroom, I’m pretty sure I’ll be damaged goods forever.

You've always been the caretaker, Mr. Torrance.

Fuel for one’s car and one’s stomach

Lately, builder Alex Eylar has been absolutely knocking it out of the park with builds dedicated to creating a LEGO-made ambiance. I covered a pair of his brick-built spaces not too long ago, but I think I like Alex’s latest creation even more. A combination gas station and restaurant, this building and it’s superb lighting convey the desert at dusk perfectly. There’s so much detail, including the cacti, shelves inside the convenience store, and signage for the restaurant around back. But my favorite detail is the obscured brown car sitting along-side the building.

Gas & Grub

LEGO spaces, with a lowercase S

For me, one of the hallmarks of a great LEGO builder is their ability to create a space. And not just any space, but one with detail, purpose, and a story. Alex Eylar shows their skill in the medium with this great pair of brick-build “rooms.” First up, we have an almost-liminal hallway scene, absolutely intended to give the viewer a case of the spooks. Something about the abandoned flashlight and the burnt-out fluorescent send chills up my spine.

Night Shift

Next up, and far less creepy, this den acts more as a carefully constructed ode to it’s owner, Gregory. From the décor, it’s easy to peer into the life of this sophisticated gentleman: one of billiards, music, and relaxation.

The Den

Maybe it’s a Donut Shop franchise.

I think it’s cool when LEGO builders are inspired to take elements of existing sets and spin them into their own creations. Alex Eylar began by surgically removing the Donut Shop from the 10278 Police Station, striving to keep the modular aspects intact. They then added an adorable bookstore to make the place even more inviting. It feels like the perfect corner to spend a chilly autumn morning exploring. Even if the replication of the Donut Shop suggests it’s more of a chain than a mom-and-pop operation.

Donut Shop & Bookstore

The interior of the bookshop is worth a closer look, too. Can you almost smell the scent of used books mingling with the baking from next door? I know I can.

Donut Shop & Bookstore

I was amused to find we had a tag for “donut” already – why not take a moment and check out how to make a donut from LEGO bricks? (Probably not how you’re thinking.)

Morning at the Museum

True story; I had a chance to work after hours at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. I was contracted to paint display backdrops for a Mars exhibit. It was late at night, long after the patrons and staff had gone home and a security guard and I were the only two people there. I can say with confidence that a museum at night is a strange and eerie place. Some lights are on, others are off and incidentally, they leave the animatronic dinosaurs turned on so they were moving and roaring throughout the night. This LEGO creation called Morning at the Museum by Alex Eylar reminds me of that experience. To be clear, the skeleton T-Rex is from this set but the environment Alex has built for it and the lighting makes this a stellar creation indeed. Alex is quite good at setting a mood in LEGO. Check out what I mean in our archives.

Morning at the Museum

That’s odd, usually the blood gets off at the second floor.

If you’re feeling a bit unsettled but don’t know why, there’s a reason for it. If you’re totally feeling the heebie-jeebies and you do know why, then you, dear readers, are keen to the fact that this is a scene from The Shining. Alex Eylar recreates the pivotal scene in LEGO but got the idea and permission from Reddit user /u/thatbenguy23. (If that’s your real name!) It kind of makes you want to take the family out for a winter retreat at the Overlook Hotel, doesn’t it? Let’s take the elevator up. What can go wrong? While we’re waiting for that elevator, check out this melancholy scene by Alex we posted last May.

The Shining

Hospitality on hold

LEGO builder Alex Eylar captures the mood of many with his latest creation Lonely Chef. Alex says he’s missing restaurants during the current lockdown, but in this melancholy composition he also manages to communicate the quiet despair felt by many in the hospitality industry. I’ve spent my entire working life in the bar and drinks trade, and right now it feels like I’m watching the whole industry slide off a cliff in slow-motion. On a less gloomy note, this is a wonderful LEGO model — clean lines and a simple colour scheme, nicely-lit, and well-photographed. I’m looking forward to when such creations depict a moment from our history, rather than from our present.

Lonely Chef