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?
Tag: VFX
“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
Revisiting Cinefex (26): Poltergeist II, Young Sherlock Holmes
Carol Anne's in trouble on the front cover of Cinefex #26, assailed by a whole new host of ghostly apparitions in Brian Gibson's 1986 sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side. The apparitions come courtesy of Richard Edlund's Boss Film Studios and are thus of superior quality (though most folk wouldn't say the same about the … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (26): Poltergeist II, Young Sherlock Holmes
Revisiting Cinefex (23): Explorers, Lifeforce, My Science Project
Cinefex issue #23 examines no less than three movies but, as far as the cover pictures go, the star of this particular show is Explorers, Joe Dante's 1985 slice of family-friendly science fiction. Up front is a hero shot of the rather funky-looking spaceship operated by whimsical aliens Wak and Neek. Look closely and you'll … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (23): Explorers, Lifeforce, My Science Project
Revisiting Cinefex (22): Return to Oz, Baby
In a scene from Walter Murch's 1985 film Return to Oz, the monstrous Nome King prepares to devour Dorothy Gale's new friend Jack Pumpkinhead. This perilous snapshot makes for a striking cover to Cinefex #22, but how many of you were actually able to name the movie? Not everyone, I'm guessing, which is a shame … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (22): Return to Oz, Baby
“Prometheus”
Most people who like cinema have a movie that shines like a beacon in their memory, brighter than all the rest. Mine is Alien. I was there for its first release in 1979, sneaking past the warning signs in the theatre foyer even though I was too young for the movie's X-certificate. One sign screamed: … Continue reading “Prometheus”
Revisiting Cinefex (20): 2010
Gracing the cover of Cinefex #20 is a haunting image of the enigmatic Starchild from Peter Hyams's 1984 film 2010. Visual effects supervisor on the film was Richard Edlund, who had recently left Industrial Light and Magic to take over Douglas Trumbull's EEG facility, soon to become Boss Film Corporation. Here's what Edlund had to … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (20): 2010
Revisiting Cinefex (18): Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Star Trek III
The front cover of Cinefex #18 is a real sizzler, showing as it does one of the hapless victims of the ruthless Thuggee cult descending into a lake of fiery lava. The image is one of the many impressive models created by Dennis Muren's team at Industrial Light and Magic for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (18): Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Star Trek III
Revisiting Cinefex (15): Never Say Never Again, The Day After, Ralph Hammeras
The name on the cover of Cinefex #15 is Bond - James Bond. To be precise, it's Sean Connery in his final outing as the world's most famous secret agent, facing his latest enemy Maximillian Largo through the holographic display of a tabletop video game. The still is from Irvin Kershner's Never Say Never Again, something of a curiosity … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (15): Never Say Never Again, The Day After, Ralph Hammeras
Graham Edwards 