In order to truly understand the situation here, there is quite a bit of backstory. I've tried to lay everything out as best I could with the emails/pms that I had left. Some of the conversations took place over the phone so it might seem choppy in areas.
It's a long read. I'm actually having to cut it into two posts.
Here's where this all started.
A couple of years ago, JoeR, aka prophunter contacted me to tell me that he had acquired an original ROTJ helmet that he wanted to mold and make replicas from. I recognized the helmet immediately as it was the original ROTJ helmet that had been horribly restored including techniques such as sanding the yellowed surface of the plastic off and having the one remaining earcap siliconed in place. A lot of people other than me are familiar with this helmet.
He wanted to mold it but it was missing one of the earpieces. He knew that I had the only set of ROTJ trooper molds that touched the insides of a real helmet/suit, and approached me to see if I would sell him a vac formed ear, or make him the missing ear mold for his run of helmets. He had a prop maker in the UK create the other molds from the helmet already.
I was not interested in giving him either, unless I could be involved with the replication process. I offered to offered to re-mold the helmet (as I didn't trust the prop maker would have correctly preserved the integrity of the vac formed parts) for him or use his existing molds (if they were up to spec) and produce an extremely limited number of replicas amongst trusted friends. He said that he would like to but there were a couple of issues. First, he wanted to make a lot more pieces than I felt comfortable with. Second, he said the prop maker had not been paid for his efforts and he was relying on paying him with sales from his helmet run. Therefore the prop maker would not release the molds.
I said, no biggie, when you get your situation settled, come back to me and we'll do it right. Mind you, I already have molds for a ROTJ helmet, but I'm always interested in molding any screen used prop, even if it is a duplicate of something I already have.
This really upset him, so he sought out another person for the earcap mold (which was sub par).
Communication about the possibility of the project withered so I just wrote if off as him just trying to get the earpiece from me with no intention of having me involved outside of that. Still no big deal. It's not like I don't already have my own or anything.
No sour grapes, just a bad taste in my mouth for wasting my time as well as bitter feelings for consistently taking jabs at me on the forums over the years because I wouldn't give him an earcap, let him buy a v2 helmet, or let him on my forum.
Here goes:
At the time of this message, we had already talked about the possibility of having me look over the molds made by his prop maker to see if they were made correctly.
3-19-2007 from Joe
Gino
The mould maker is in Thailand working on Rambo 4 for at least 8-9 weeks! He still hasn't sent me the photos.
I am considering getting new moulds done, fancy a trip to the UK?
Joe
Here is a second request asking for the earpiece after being denied approx. 6 months earlier. As if I would say yes this time around.
6-15-07 from Joe
Gino
I need a right hand ear piece (wearing the helmet) from the TE moulds, I also would like permission to cast it for my run of ROTJ helmets.
Would you be willing to do this? If so can you let me know how much you want in $$$ and the best form of payment.
Thanks
Joe
Big gap here. This is his message to me regarding a post I made on some forum after I saw him state that he has gotten a second choice vac formed earpiece from another trooper person. I then questioned if that meant that he no longer wished to have me involved. He assured me yes, but he still couldn't get the molds back from the prop maker.
11-27-07 from Joe
Thank you.
I have been out of order.
In answer to the questions:
1. I am not friends with ****, I needed an ear piece so I contacted him. He is already kicking off about money etc etc. He is bad news.
2. All I want is a run from the moulds to recoup the vast sum I spent on the helmet.
I would love to do something with you. My issues are getting hold of the moulds, they are still in London, I should be getting them back before Christmas.
Joe
Another touch base message trying to keep me on the line.
12-05-07 from Joe
Gino
The moulds are being shipped to me at the end of this week or my father is going to pick them up from London next weekend if we can tie it it.
They have been stuck with this guy who has been working constantly on various films, hence the delay:
http://www.lifecast.co.uk/
He took the moulds from the helmet.
Joe
This is where it gets interesting. Looking back, I believe at this point he had planned to take one of his replica ROTJ helmets and try to pass it off as an original ESB. You'll see in later messages where he brags about obtaining a pristine original ESB helmet which we all know never materialized. These next exchanges are him trying to make a case for ROTJ helmets actually originating in ESB.
12-05-07 from Joe
Gino
A friend of mine has a theory that the background studio ROTJ Stormtrooper helmets were used in ESB as stunt helmets.
What do you think of this?
Joe
12-05-07 from Gino
Definitely not.
The ESB helmets were re-purposed ANH helmets. All of which were made out of grey-ish green 'khaki' colored HDPE.
Both styles of ROTJ helmets were made out of white ABS.
12-06-07 from Joe
Gino
I think you are wrong.
Photo evidence coming shortly, you obviously haven't watched ESB closely enough!
Joe
12-06-07 from Joe
Not sure how you can say definitely unless you have some sort of evidence.
This trooper looks like a background helmet to me, low brow, elongated face and NO HDPE chips at all, also a squared off frown:
[flawed comparison photo was here]
There are also troopers with ab edging in ESB.
John Mollo remarked about "the 'Mark 2' helmets which were made for TESB from white vac-formed plastic - not like the painted ones from the first movie."
I have spotted an ESB blaster in the Endor scenes in Jedi....
That combined with the interior 'tell' in the background helmets makes it a distinct possibility.
Joe
12-06-07 from Gino
They didn't make new stormtrooper pieces until ROTJ.
There were only like 9 or 10 ESB troopers (not counting snowtroopers).
12-06-007 from Joe
Do you have any evidence of this? Would be interested to hear.
Take care
Joe
12-06-07 from Gino
Yeah actually.
Why do you ask me if you aren't going to believe what I have to say?
12-06-07 from Joe
Gino
I am trying to find out if these helmets might have been used in ESB, random statements are no good, I need facts.
12-06-07 from Gino
They weren't.
12-06-07 from Joe
What is this elusive proof then, that contradicts John Mollo?
If you want to work with me you have to COMMUNICATE!
Joe
12-06-07 from Gino
Then Mollo is remembering incorrectly, or there is a miscommunication.
During ESB, they called the snowtroopers "stormtroopers". Ask him if you don't believe me.
There weren't any 'traditional anh style' stormtroopers formed in ESB.
I'm referencing a list that has the breakdown of vac formed costume pieces (not set pieces) made for esb. Not that I would go by that list entirely on its own merit anyway, but everything else I've seen, substantiates that.
Also Joe, you need to understand something. We've never worked on a project together so I have nothing to go on in terms of trust with you. At least you have my body of work over a long period of time to look at, as well as other respected people in this hobby who know me personally, and that any info I post about props can be taken to the bank.
You keep rubbing me the wrong way and questioning my knowledge (which you come to me to ask in the first place). I don't need **** like this from someone.
Don't ask me for info anymore if you are just going to insult me when I give it to you.
Again, here you can see his intention to produce replicas from his ROTJ helmet, as well a plant the seeds for trying to pass off an ESB.
12-06-07 from Joe
Gino
I don't have an attitude at all. I don't expect answers to polite questions like "no they weren't" backed up with nothing. You act as if your word is law. No-one needs to be that arrogant. Why shouldn't I ask for some evidence?
Its a shame you have to be like this.
I was holding back on telling to that I have tracked down an original ESB Stormtrooper helmet and I am negotiating to buy it, it will be long and drawn out but I have a very good chance of securing it.
Someone else will benefit from my ROTJ and potentially ESB helmet moulds.
Joe
I knew it was BS about this non-existent ESB helmet even back then, and didn't even give it the time of day to comment on it in my response.
12-06-07 from Gino
If you knew me better, you would understand that it's not arrogance.
You say why shouldn't you ask for some evidence. I say, why the hell should I give it to you? I don't know you outside of a couple of phone conversations and you have been disrespectful to me for a good half of the time I've known of you. Do you realize how insulting that is to me?
You've given me absolutley nothing to go on or to start building a trust or relationship. And you think I'm going to just hand over my best kept secrets? Are you kidding? At least I gave you honest and true answers.
Also, I told you what I know and it is solid. I would never give out information that I knew wasn't true. If you don't trust my knowledge, then you shouldn't be asking me in the first place. If you had started out asking for documented proof of your question, I'd have told you to look elsewhere (which you would never get anyway).
(cont. on next post)
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