Revisiting Cinefex (12): Something Wicked, Stop-Motion and Dream Quest

There's a creepy beauty on the cover of Cinefex #12, but there's a fair chance you won't recognise her. She's the Dust Witch from the all-but-forgotten 1983 Disney film Something Wicked This Way Comes. On the inside cover is a location shot of Dark's Pandemonium Carnival from the same movie. The main body of the … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (12): Something Wicked, Stop-Motion and Dream Quest

Revisiting Cinefex (11): ET and Robert Swarthe

The character on the front of Cinefex #11 owns one of the most famous faces of the 1980s - that's remarkable, considering he's a special effect. He's so famous I don't even need to tell you his name. His spaceship features on #11's inside cover, sitting on a full-scale woodland clearing set, and you can … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (11): ET and Robert Swarthe

Revisiting Cinefex (10): Poltergeist and Firefox

The cover of Cinefex #10 knows what scares you: it's the Hallway Beast from Tobe Hooper's 1982 horror film Poltergeist. Turn the page and you'll find a still from Clint Eastwood's high-tech thriller Firefox, showing the full-scale MiG-31 aircraft being stolen from its Russian hangar. There are two articles in this issue, spanning the regular … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (10): Poltergeist and Firefox

Revisiting Cinefex (9): Blade Runner

The glowing lights of a police spinner illuminate the cover of Cinefex issue #9. The still is from Blade Runner, Ridley Scott's seminal adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? Two years into its life, the Cinefex cover design retains the classic simplicity established in issue #1, although the price has … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (9): Blade Runner

Revisiting Cinefex (8): Tron and Silent Running

The cover of Cinefex issue #8 features a striking image of Bruce Boxleitner as Tron in the 1982 Disney movie of the same name. Inside the cover is a still from Douglas Trumbull's 1972 science fiction film Silent Running, featuring one of those funky robots (I could never tell them apart so you'll have to … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (8): Tron and Silent Running

Revisiting Cinefex (7): Willis O’Brien

In one of the most iconic dramatic encounters of the 20th century, the giant ape King Kong looms over the helpless Ann Darrow. This is the cover of Cinefex #7, an issue devoted entirely to Willis O'Brien, the man who brought Kong to life. Inside is a generous introduction from animator and film-maker Ray Harryhausen, … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (7): Willis O’Brien

Revisiting Cinefex (6): Early CGI, Dragonslayer and Raiders

One of the great movie dragons is Vermithrax Pejorative from Dragonslayer. And guess what? She's right there on the cover of Cinefex #6 in the form of ILM's go-motion puppet. Inside the cover is a still of actor Peter MacNicol astride the full-size dragon head built for the film's live-action shoot. This issue's 80 pages contain … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (6): Early CGI, Dragonslayer and Raiders

Revisiting Cinefex (5): Ray Harryhausen, Titans, Roy Arbogast and Caveman

The hideous gorgon Medusa from Clash of the Titans stares out of the cover of Cinefex #5, begging the question: how many readers were turned to stone before they even got the damn magazine open? Inside is a still from an earlier Ray Harryhausen film: 20 Million Miles to Earth. If these two pictures don't … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (5): Ray Harryhausen, Titans, Roy Arbogast and Caveman

Revisiting Cinefex (3): Empire, Walter Murch and Phase IV

The cover of Cinefex #3 boasts a gorgeous still from The Empire Strikes Back showing Luke Skywalker astride his tauntaun. The moody lighting and artful composition - not to mention the rarity of this particular image - combine to make this my favourite of the early covers. The inside cover is a still from Apocalypse … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (3): Empire, Walter Murch and Phase IV

Revisiting Cinefex (2): Empire, Greg Jein and Star Trek

A trio of Imperial AT-AT walkers graces the front cover of Cinefex #2, in a now-familiar airbrushed publicity still from The Empire Strikes Back. The inside front cover shows the incredibly detailed Ocean Park fairground miniature built by Greg Jein for Steven Spielberg's 1941. The magazine's 72 pages feature three articles: Of Ice Planets, Bog … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (2): Empire, Greg Jein and Star Trek