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There’s only one person who so accurately personifies movie magic in the history of film, and that man is special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. Focusing on the man behind the landmark effects on films like Clash Of The Titans, One Million Years B.C., Jason And The Argonauts and many more, this in-depth film features interviews with the great man himself, and with an array of animators and directors influenced by his work including Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Nick Park, Terry Gilliam, James Cameron and Steven Spielberg. The film also features unseen footage of tests and experiments recently uncovered.
Reality and illusion collide in this thriller about a megalomaniacal movie director who murders a young would-be actress, then sets about making a feature about the deed, casting the dead woman’s clueless husband as the patsy, and finding a dead ringer to play the part of the dead actress.
Unbelievable!!!!!, the film, is an homage and parody of B-rated Science Fiction movies of the 1950’s and 1960’s. The dialogue is intentionally stilted and wooden as are the special effects. The sets, costumes and props are all purposefully of makeshift quality. However, the plot is solid and propels the characters through the entire story as though it has a serious intent or statement. Screenplay by Steven L. Fawcette.
Fifty years after its release, the special effects makeup team behind Planet of the Apes reflect on making the iconic film.
After being taken from his home in Africa, Gorilla “Joe” is an instant hit in a Hollywood nightclub. This fun and wonderfully entertaining slant on “King Kong” is much better than Kong’s 1934 sequel, “Son of Kong”. This all ages adventure has superb special effects from Willis O’Brien and his protege, Ray Harryhausen.
German director Werner Herzog begins work on his 1982 epic “Fitzcarraldo” but soon runs into serious setbacks, from casting problems to his own stubborn refusal to use special effects. After having to reshoot much of the film because the lead actor was recast, his crew must then haul an old-fashioned steamboat over a mountain using manpower alone. With a resolve bordering on insanity, Herzog struggles to realize his vision, vowing to see the film completed — even if it leads to his undoing.
A movies special effects man is hired by a government agency to help stage the assassination of a well known gangster. When the agency double cross him, he uses his special effects to trap the gangster and the corrupt agents.
Take a wee bit of ancient folklore, mix in some spectacular special effects and a magical cast (including Sean Connery) — and you’ve got one of the most enchanting fantasies of all time! A frisky old storyteller named Darby O’Gill is desperately seeking the proverbial pot of gold. There’s just one tiny thing standing in his way: a 21-inch leprechaun named King Brian. In order to get the gold, Darby must match his wits against the shrewd little trickster — which proves no small task, indeed! Fall under the spell of DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE for a fun-filled evening of magic, mirth, and nonstop shenanigans!
aka Cybercity It’s the year 2017, the Earth’s surface is destroyed and its citizens flee to an underground wasteland ruled by warring religious cults. In this sinful cybercity, Mercenary Dakota’s (C. Thomas Howell) family is murdered by a perverse virtual prophet (Roddy Piper) bent on world domination. Seeking justice, Dakota, beautiful assissin Lilith (Heidi Von Palleske) and an arsenal of hi-tech weaponry battle for the Earth’s most precious resource – Humanity. It’s time for the false prophets to meek their makers! Packed with innovative special effects and teeth-clenching action, “CyberCity” will make you rethink the millennium.
Juno Mak’s debut feature Rigor Mortis is an eerie and chilling, contemporary action- and special effects-laden homage to the classic Chinese vampire movies of the 1980s.
A genetic engineering experiment gone horribly awry turns a large flock of docile sheep into unrelenting killing machines in this rural horror comedy directed by Jonathan King and featuring special effects designed by Weta Workshop.
No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. No other feeling comes close. Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary.
A film crew shoots a gory movie with realistic special effects. The gore looks real, because it is. The film director, a evil warlock, need a blood sacrifice to complete his pact with Satan. Who better than the film’s scream queen? Who will survive the final cut.
The Mischief Theatre Company return as the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society who are this time determined to ignore a BBC blacklisting by hijacking a live production of Charles Dickens’ famous festive fable. Yet they struggle with studio direction and special effects, and trying to keep a professional cast at bay.
An isolated elderly woman, in desperate need of stimulation, conjures an infestation of silk-spinning caterpillars, thus leading her to a mind-bending epiphany. ‘Caterpillar’ is a cerebral drama, filmed in the historical Wynkoop House, famous for housing George Washington. The crew consists of highly esteemed artists working across a wide spectrum of disciplines. This includes special effects artist, Ben Bornstein (300, The Fighter), visual effects artist Greg Silverman (Black Swan), and editor, Corey Bayes (Haywire, Contagion, The Informant, Che). From storyline through production, Caterpillar is an ode to the creative process. This film is a must-see for anyone who has ever submitted to their imagination and felt transformed by an idea.
Conversations On Serious Topics is a film without exterior action, props, landscapes or special effects. Its main characters are children and teenagers with a special ability to describe the surrounding world. Intimate conversations with them reveal the picture of the modern world — at times melancholic, at times comical, at times dramatic. Shot in a minimalist fashion, the film raises questions about loneliness, love, God, the world and human relations. “The world is people.” “Don’t you believe in God? I can teach you how to start believing…”
Featuring brand new interviews with producer Douglas Wick, screenwriter Wesley Strick, and special effects artist Rick Baker, THE BEAST INSIDE: CREATING »WOLF« examines the making of Mike Nichols’ WOLF (1994) in all its stages from original idea to final appearance.
The Plot is actually pretty crafty and full of (surprisingly) unsuspecting twists. The special effects are actually quite realistic which is surprising for such a low budget movie. Bokeeem Woodbine plays his role with a serious emotion that only adds to the hilariousness of the movie. Justin Pierce (R.I.P) is hilarious as a guy who has possibly the worst day of his entire life. The comedy of the movie culminates in the final 10 minutes that have had me and everyone else watching the movie rolling on the floor for hours. This movie is a classic and deserves more respect.
The ability to fly is one of the greatest miracles in the natural world. Millions of creatures soar above our heads today, using a fabulous variety of techniques to defy gravity and master their aerial environment. Wild Flight: Conquest of the Skies 3D uses the very latest science and stunning special effects to uncover the 300-million-year story of flight as never before. The most advanced filming technology allows us to show the beauty and excitement of life on the wing, from the fastest predatory falcons to the most acrobatic of insects, night flyers like owls and bats, and the soaring and gliding specialists capable of traveling huge distances. Audiences will truly enter the amazing world of these remarkable animal aviators, and leave the theatre both stunned by the spectacle and thrilled by the story of Wild Flight: Conquest of the Skies.
Tommy has just joined the cast of the top-rated kids’ show, “Captain Mike’s Mystery Monsters,” and is anxious to find out just how the special effects crew gets the monsters to work. Imagine his surprise when he discovers they’re not special effects at all! Adding to the situation, the monsters’ original owner, evil Queen Mara, has returned to Earth to reclaim her property and take revenge on Captain Mike for stealing them.
Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen’s film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.
In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, we find a group of children, mostly teenagers, who are living at an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth. The group in question plays a hockey based game on roller skates and is quite good. It has given them a unity that transcends the attempts to bring them to heel by the government. Finding an orb of special power, they find it has unusual effects on them. They escape from the orphanage (on skates) and try to cross the wasteland looking for a place they can live free as the storm-troopers search for them and the orb.
Elaine and Ed Kendall have more than their share of grief and suffering. Once a young couple in love they now struggle for a sense of stability in their Staten Island home. Their eldest son is suffering from the physical and psychological effects of war; his younger brother takes it upon himself to bring him peace and relief. Meanwhile, their special needs daughter brings another kind of chaos to the family. Even though Ed and Elaine explore options for her care, they’re really just hanging on to hope that things improve somehow.
Invaluable is the feature-length documentary film about Tom Sullivan, creator of the special make-up effects in “The Evil Dead”, “Evil Dead II”, and “Army of Darkness”. This film contains footage and places never before seen until now and features interviews with Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel, Josh Becker, Ted Raimi, Hal Delrich, Betsy Baker, Sarah York, Ellen Sandweiss, Tom Sullivan, and many more.
In this drama thriller set in the South, a young boy named Green (Bret Harrison) longs to escape his unhappy life but feels trapped in his hometown. A gifted special-effects makeup artist, Green has big dreams of working in Hollywood. But the boy’s personal demons — a drunken, abusive stepfather, a group of religious zealots out to destroy his work and the love of a girl who prefers small-town life — may stand in the way of his dreams.
WWII from Space delivers World War II in a way you’ve never experienced it before. This HISTORY special uses an all-seeing CGI eye that offers a satellite view of the conflict, allowing you to experience it in a way that puts key events and tipping points in a global perspective. By re-creating groundbreaking moments that could never have been captured on camera, and by illustrating the importance of simultaneity and the hidden effects of crucial incidents, HISTORY presents the war’s monumental moments in a never-before-seen context. And with new information brought to the forefront, you’ll better understand how a nation ranked 19th in the world’s militaries in 1939 emerged six years later as the planet’s only atomic superpower.
