THE BASEMENT’S HALLOWEEN HAVEN: Six Foot Animated Alien and Three Foot Animated Dancing Alien

Welcome to my continuing series on all things Halloween. For this edition, I am focusing on two new animatronic props for the 2020 Halloween season by Home Depot, in their Home Accents line. They are the Six Foot Animated LED Alien and the Three Foot Animated LED Dancing Alien.

I have always been fascinated with flying saucers and aliens, ever since I was a kid, reading every book on the subject that I could get my hands on. For me, when props like these become available, they are must-haves.

August is one of my favorite times of the year; not because it is summer but because it is when retail stores start stocking their Halloween decorations and stores like Spirit start to open. Home Depot is quickly setting the bar when it comes to these decorations.

First up is the six foot alien. Though most of these animatronics have some issues, especially when it comes to proportions in the shoulder and hip areas, this one looks pretty good. This figure towers over most people and the LED lights in the eyes and chest plate are a great addition.

The eyes glow an eerie green while the figure is in motion and the chest plate light goes on and off in sync with what the alien says. The head moves back and forth and the arms move as well. All of the movements are at a nice pace, adding to its creep factor.

The alien speaks multiple phrases, complete with background sound effects. The figure also has a volume button which is very helpful as many of these figures just have one volume. The speaker sounds great and the phrases come out very clear. The motion sensor seems to work pretty consistently as well, which can be a problem with some of these figures. The design of the head is very simple. There is very little detail but you still get the sense that it is an alien grey. The hands and feet on the other hand are very detailed.

My only complaint about this figure is the way the pants fit around the ankles of the feet. Either the material needs to be slightly longer or better yet, part of the leg should be extended. The cuff of the pants barely come down over the top of the feet which gives it an awkward appearance if you are a stickler for detail. Perhaps a a couple of pieces of Velcro, both sewed into the cuff and then some attached to the foot itself, would solve this problem.

Overall though this figure is phenomenal and well worth the $99! I ordered mine through the Home Depot website and got it in two days, as at the time I saw this item on the website, it was not yet available in stores. Shipping was also free!

Next up is the Three Foot Animated LED Dancing Alien. This is an almost exact copy of the six foot alien, but in a much smaller size. The outfit is the same as well. Instead of being just animated, this figure dances. This guy is sound activated and the soundtrack is of him (or her) singing as well as dancing to some bizarre music. There is no volume control on this figure.

I like the head on this figure more but can’t put my finger on it as to why. It appears slightly more narrow and the paint job seems to be a little better. To me the eyes also look better. When they are lit up, there is a dark section that looks very similar to a praying mantid’s eyes. The hands and feet, like with the six foot figure, are very detailed.

For this figure my complaint is with the neck part of the costume. Because this alien dances, the neck collar is always below the head’s neckline, exposing some of the inner workings. Again, a longer neck or Velcro would have solved this problem. I also wish that you could turn the audio off on this figure and still get the movement.

Despite my minor complaints, this figure is also well worth the price of $39.98. According to the website, the larger alien can be used outside, preferably covered. This means that if you are going to have it outside for any length of time, providing some protection is recommended. If you are like me and are just going to use it on Halloween night or for a Halloween party, then covering is not needed.

Home Depot should be commended for what they are doing for the Halloween season! They recognize it as a money-making opportunity just like Christmas is and ran with it. These figures can be ordered online from the Home Depot website and shipping is free, which is great during the times of Covid-19 where you may not feel comfortable going into large retail stores.

Don’t forget to check out the other entries in my BASEMENT’S HALLOWEEN HAVEN series.

~David Albaugh

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