Kimberly Lindbergs

Barbie has gone to The Birds

This might be old news to some, but it’s new news to me. I just discovered Mattel released a Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels in The Birds (1963) Barbie doll in October complete with attacking birds and a mini reproduction of her fabulous green dress suit. The Birds terrified me when I first saw it as a child and I don’t suspect that a lot of little girls will be asking for a Melanie Daniels’ Barbie this Christmas, but it’s definitely on my holiday wish list!

Tippi Hedren Barbie

I really wish Mattel would hire me to help them design other film-themed Barbies. I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world who wants a Meiko Kaji as Sasori doll.

Sasori

18 comments

  1. I know for a fact that you’re not the only one!

    And Sasori Barbie is fun to say, and is on a very short list of things that would inspire me to buy a Barbie for myself.

  2. Maybe I could get you to write me a reference to send Mattel, Neil?

    I figure my first 5 doll designs would be:
    1. A Meiko Kaji “Sasori” Barbie (similar to the design I put together in the photo above)
    2. A Ursula Andress as “She” Barbie
    3. A Pam Grier as “Coffy” Barbie
    4. a Monica Vitti as “Modesty Blaise” Barbie
    and…
    5. A Edwige Fenech as “Giallo Starlet” Barbie!

    I’d also like to see Mattel’s line of Hitchcock Barbies continue with dolls based on Kim Novak in Vertigo, Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder and Janet Leigh in Psycho. I swear that I’d try and buy them all!

  3. I, too, would buy nearly all, if not all, myself. Depending on my pocketbook, I suppose, but Sasori, “She”, Coffy and Edwige are all ones I’d probably sacrifice a meal or two over. The other four I’d definitely buy as well, but I might wait for weeks when I had the money to not have to.

    Hell, there are are a couple in there that I’d probably also have to give out as gifts to a person or two, so, yes, count me down as someone who will swear himself as a potential customer.

  4. They may be eventually heading in that direction as more adults become collectors of the special series – have you seen Black Canary Barbie? Holy crap – talk about adult themed!

  6. I’m not the type of guy that ever was into Barbie. I know some boys who did play with them. I’ll admit that I would definitely buy a Sasori, etc. Barbie.

  7. More possible dolls:
    Barbara Steele as the evil Princess Asa in BLACK SUNDAY
    Soledad Miranda as the vampire Princess Nadine in VAMPYROS LESBOS

    You should really make up a proposal with computer graphics and send it to them. You could become rich and famous!

  9. Hello Kimberly,
    I at last have DSL and I’m having a BLAST going through all your terrific film and DVD reviews (your site took far too long to load with my old dial up)! I have to tell ya that Cinebeats is right up there with my favorite film blogs and DVD review sites. These include: Video Watchblog, Mondo-digital, and DVD Savant. However, I think I like Cinebeats even better because it’s such a great looking site. With your superb design & writing skills, you’re like Video Watchdog’s Tim and Donna Lucas all rolled up into one super-talented person!

    I’ve been enjoying catching up with all your blogs & reviews, but I have to say that this latest entry with the Tippi Hedren/Melanie Daniels and Meiko Kaji dolls really caught my eye. And I am NOT even a toy or doll collector (although I work in an industry where almost EVERY grown-up guy has their work sation FILLED filled with super-cool toys… so much in fact that a typical office wing looks more like Santa’s workshop than an effects studio!)! That said, if Mattel hired you (and they REALLY should) to design a Meiko Kaji doll, I’d snatch one up right away! (I also think that the Melanie Daniels doll is a real stunner… I hope there’s enough adult fans out there to support an inspired doll line like this.)

    After reading your blog, I unwounded for the night by watching Blue Underground’s beautiful DVD of Jess Franco’s “Eugenie De Sade.” Once I saw the lovely Soledad Miranda decked out in her outrageous costume of red, ultra-high boots, matching red cape & hat, plus sporting those huge, white-rimmed Elton John sunglasses, I thought… WOW, wouldn’t it be fantastic if you got to add a Soledad Miranda/”Eugenie” doll to your list of dream Barbie designs?! This would truly be a wonderfully subversive doll! (I see that Robert beat me to the Soledad Miranda punch… Darn!) Have you thought of this (and I know a girl like you dosen’t need ANY suggestions)? I know you’re a big fan of Jess Franco, but are you a fan of the mesmerizing Soledad Miranda as well (probably a dumb question)? I can’t get a doll like this out of my head… I’d love to see it displayed with your super-cool Meiko Kaji doll (great photo by the way!)!!! I hope you agree!
    Best,
    Paul Herndon

  10. Vanwall – I had not seen Black Canary Barbie but I went and looked her up online after your comment. I’m not all that familiar with her Marvel comic’s character (I always thought she was drawn rather awful and her stories were dull) but she looks like she just stepped off the set of a Motley Crue video. Just what the world needs – a doll that encourages every girl to become an ’80s video slut – you go Black Cannery!

    Jonathan – She is indeed!

    Keith – If you ever owned action figures or GI Joe dolls, then you’re one of us.

    Robert – Excellent ideas, Robert. I just tossed some off the top of my head yesterday but I like your ideas just as much, if not more. We could play this game forever!

    Paul – Wow! Hugs thanks for your very generous compliment about my site. I truly appreciate it. You’re much too kind but I’m really glad you enjoy what I’ve been doing here at Cinebeats. I’m really fond of Tim Lucus and his own writing has definitely influenced my own.

    I’ve been collecting dolls & toys for almost 20 years so I’m overly familiar with the topic. Normally I try and keep my interest in such things out of Cinebeats but I just couldn’t resist sharing The Birds Barbie. I’m glad some others found her news worthy as well. As for a Soledad Miranda doll, I’d love one too! I really admire her. She’s easily my favorite Franco starlet. Last but not least, I also wanted to mention that I stopped by your own site and loved what I saw there. I really enjoyed looking at the storyboards you did. Thanks again for all the great feedback, Paul! I hope you’ll stop by often.

  11. I was trying to think of a better way to express what I thought of the Meiko Kaji doll other than “Holy crap that would be awesome!”, but I admit that nothing else but that particular phrase is coming to mind.

    I would snap one up in a second. Of course I’m biased to the lovely Ms. Kaji, but an entire line of figures of her characters would be sweet: Lady Snowblood, Akemi Tachibana (from “Blind Woman’s Curse”) and Mako (from “Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter”) would be a nice start…B-)

    I’m loving the other suggestions too. How about Ingrid Pitt from “The Vampire Lovers”?

  12. Glad you like my attemp at trying to put together a Meiko doll, Bob! There are some action type figures of one or two of her characters available in Japan but the likeness is only so-so and they’re super pricey! I like the idea of “dolls” better than action figures though. With a doll line like this we could encourage a generation of movie loving little girls who were also tuff cookies.

    As I mentioned above, we could play the name game all day, but I love the Ingrid Pitt suggestion! A few others for fun….

    Rachel Welch as Fathom
    Jane Fonda as Barbarella
    Marisa Mell as Eva Kant
    Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker
    Christina Lindberg as One Eye

    This conversation has reminded me of how much I wanted one of the Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra Barbies when they were released in the early ’90s. I didn’t have the money for one at the time and they were super pricey, but I bet I could find one selling for cheap on ebay now. Goes off to look…

  14. I love Maggie Cheung too and she looks fabulous as Irma Vep! I’d personally like to see a set of Heroic Trio dolls based on Maggie and her two costars (Michelle Yeoh and Anita Mui).

  15. Another Marisa Mell fan. Sign me up for that one if it happens. Jessica Harper in Suspiria would be another winner in my book.

  16. Oh! I like that Jessica Harper idea, and throw in Jennifer Connelly from “Phenomena”, too – they could even have some savage insects as extras! Iffen they was to go totally nekkid, I’d like a Barbara Bouchet fetish doll, thank you very much.

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