Formula For Fire

One day in 1981, in a tiny comic shop in London, I stumbled over an American magazine called Cinefex. Within its pages, I discovered a number of ultra-detailed articles about visual effects, a subject that had fascinated me for some time. The films under discussion were Dragonslayer and Raiders of the Lost Ark. The issue … Continue reading Formula For Fire

Rush – it’s a wrap

If you've landed here hoping to learn about the visual effects of Ron Howard's Formula 1 film Rush, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. Yes, I've finished my article on that very subject and yes, I've submitted it to the publishers. But you'll have to wait until it appears in the winter edition of … Continue reading Rush – it’s a wrap

Rush – movie review

Most good stories have a moment where they shift into a higher gear. With Ron Howard's Rush, that moment comes when the Ferrari driven by Formula 1 champion Niki Lauda is involved in a terrifying crash at Germany's notorious Nürburgring circuit. The film's recreation of this historic event from 1976 is hard-hitting and visceral. I … Continue reading Rush – movie review

Rush – VFX interviews completed

I've just finished interviewing for my Cinefex article on the visual effects of Rush. The last meeting on my list took me yesterday to Leavesdon Studios in Hertfordshire, UK, where I spent a fascinating hour with my final victim - sorry, interviewee. He's deep into preproduction on a new project, so it was fantastic to … Continue reading Rush – VFX interviews completed

Rush – heading behind the scenes

Regular visitors to this blog will know I've been writing about the world's best visual effects journal Cinefex for quite some time now. Well, I'm delighted to announce that now I'm writing for it. The article I'm working on will look at the visual effects of Ron Howard's new film Rush, which is scheduled for … Continue reading Rush – heading behind the scenes

Revisiting Cinefex (35): Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willow

Cinefex #35 contains behind-the-scenes stories on two big films of the late 80s, although both front and back covers feature just one: Robert Zemeckis's milestone marriage of live-action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? While the front is dominated by Roger himself - looking as manic as ever - the back is reserved for his … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (35): Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willow

Revisiting Cinefex (24): Cocoon, The Goonies, Back to the Future

Both the front and back covers of Cinefex issue #24 feature one of the big hit movies of 1985: Ron Howard's Cocoon. On the front we see - in extreme close-up - actor Brian Dennehy pulling down his lower eyelid to reveal the glowing skin of his alien Anterean self. The super-stretchy eyelid was a … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (24): Cocoon, The Goonies, Back to the Future