Are Special Effects Still Special?

Dennis Muren, a living legend in the highly specialised field of visual effects, was recently quoted by movies.com as saying this: "In some ways, I think special effects aren't special any more ... If you're going to make a motion picture, don't just throw computer graphics in to make everything bigger." Muren's a smart cookie. … Continue reading Are Special Effects Still Special?

“Hugo” – with Eddie and Gus

EDDIE: Seen Hugo? GUS: Yes. I watched that particular film quite recently. EDDIE: Whaddaya think? Use simple words, buddy, not the posh ones. GUS: Well, I think that Hugo is an inspired, and inspiring, love letter to cinema past and present. The warmth of its characters and narrative are matched only by the dazzling complexity of … Continue reading “Hugo” – with Eddie and Gus

The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Malham Cove

My novels might be fantasy, but many of the locations in them are real. Welcome to part 6 of this handy travel guide to a mythical world that bears an uncanny resemblance to our own. There are lots of cliffs in Dragoncharm. Some are sea cliffs, while others are parts of gorges or mountainsides. I make … Continue reading The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Malham Cove

Revisiting Cinefex (33): James Bond, Dick Smith, Predator

We've been swindled! The front cover of Cinefex #33 doesn't have any visual effects on it. It's just a picture of some old geezer. Wait a second. Strike that. It's not an old geezer. It's what might be the best old-age makeup ever created for a motion picture, namely Dick Smith's incredible transformation of a 45 … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (33): James Bond, Dick Smith, Predator

“Avengers Assemble” – with Eddie and Gus

Overheard in a Soho pub ... EDDIE: So, what about the Avengers movie? GUS: I must confess that superheroes aren't my favourite genre. However, I did think that director Joss Whedon managed to weave a compelling drama, robustly supported by imaginative set-piece action sequences ... EDDIE: Why do you talk like that? Nobody talks like … Continue reading “Avengers Assemble” – with Eddie and Gus

“Skyfall” – with Eddie and Gus

Overheard in a Soho pub ... EDDIE: Seen the new Bond film? GUS: "Skyfall?" Yes. EDDIE: And? GUS: I thought it was a most enjoyable cinematic experience. It retains the reboot grittiness characteristic of the Daniel Craig era, while, at the same time, restoring many of the humorous and romantic sensibilities that have been missing from the franchise in … Continue reading “Skyfall” – with Eddie and Gus

The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Serengeti

My novels might be fantasy, but many of the locations in them are real. Welcome to part 5 of this handy travel guide to a mythical world that bears an uncanny resemblance to our own. At the very beginning of Dragonflame - the final book in the Dragoncharm trilogy - the wingless dragon Wyrm watches as a herd … Continue reading The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Serengeti

Revisiting Cinefex (32): RoboCop, Innerspace

With its modest $13 million budget and domestic takings of over $50 million*, Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop was one of the big summer hits of 1987. Its main character became a classic '80s icon - thanks largely to Peter Weller's compelling performance and Rob Bottin's remarkable costume and makeup effects - and is clearly represented here on … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (32): RoboCop, Innerspace

Ray Harryhausen – Knowing When the Monster’s Coming

When I reviewed issue #5 of the visual effects journal Cinefex, I had this to say about stop-motion animation legend Ray Harryhausen: "I’ve always found it astonishing that the man who invented the Dynamation process (whereby models are animated frame-by-frame in front of a screen projecting a previously-shot live-action plate) seemed reluctant to embrace newer … Continue reading Ray Harryhausen – Knowing When the Monster’s Coming

The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Meteor Crater

My novels might be fantasy, but many of the locations in them are real. Welcome to part 4 of this handy travel guide to a mythical world that bears an uncanny resemblance to our own. Towards the end of Dragonflame, the final book in the Dragoncharm trilogy, opposing dragon armies clash in the skies above an enormous … Continue reading The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Meteor Crater