Call me OLD-FASHIONED
November 29th 2006 00:17
Call me old fashioned, but I’m a professional DJ who hasn’t yet embraced the digital revolution, who prefers to take two heavy bags of vinyl to a gig rather than a slim folder full of CDs.
Call me old fashioned, but I’ve chosen the ringing tone on my mobile “nostalgia” which is the actual ringing bell sound from domestic telephones, while my message tone is the voice of someone whistle-hailing, then shouting “Taxi!”
And yes, call me old fashioned, but I love old school horror where all the special effects makeup and stunt work is applied and filmed in front of the camera, not the rapidly increasing use of computer generated imagery done in post-production.
I know there are numerous advantages to utilising computers. Certainly financial ones as far as the producers are concerned. But the humble reasoning for using prosthetic make-up effects fits claw in glove with the whole aesthetic of the horror film.
Right from the beginning when filmmakers first turned to stories of ghosts, ghouls, haunted houses and monsters shuffling in the darkness, they achieved the desired visual effects by way of fabrication, manipulation and illusion in front of the camera lens - the prestige of the nightmare, if I may be so bold.
There was a magic to behold in creating images of horror and terror through the use of clever prosthetics, tricky lighting, camera-cranking, smoke and mirrors and hidden harnesses.
The levels of ingenuity increased steadily amongst the practitioners and technicians. Then in the 70s the special effects make-up artist became the true wizard of the horror movie. No longer was his production credit relegated to somewhere hidden amongst costume fitter and hair stylist in the end credits.
The extraordinary achievements these artists reached during modern horror’s crimson heyday is something to behold indeed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again SFX moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and check this shit out you may just miss some of the best old school effects work that has ever been committed to celluloid.
It won’t be long before all features are “filmed” directly to digital master, and every single effect will be a digital composite or CGI, while featured extras and even some of the cast’s small speaking parts will be digitally “performed” (I dread the day).
Some of the landmark kinds of visceral SFX makeup work that will be replaced by CGI;
• Dick Smith’s diabolical possession of Linda Blair in The Exorcist (1973).
• Rick Baker’s daylight werewolf transformation from An American Werewolf in London (1981) and his surreal body-technology mutations in Videodrome (1982)
• Rob Bottin’s outlandish alien transformations, mutations and killings in The Thing (1982), also his werewolf transformations in The Howling (1981)
• Tom Sullivan’s human dismemberments and demonic possessions in The Evil Dead (1982)
• Tom Savini’s graphic zombie surgery and destruction of humans by zombies in Day of the Dead (1985), as well as his earlier work in Dawn of the Dead (1978)
• Stan Winston’s extra-terrestrial animatronic work in Aliens (1986)
• Jennifer Aspinall and Tom Lackey’s elaborate melt work and human degradation in Street Trash (1987)
• Richard Taylor and WETA’s messy zombie carnage in Braindead (1992)
Curiously (and with great relief) I learnt that both Dick Smith and Tom Savini teach a Special Effects Make-Up Program at Douglas Education Center in Pennsylvania where they incorporate an advanced professional makeup seminar into the program’s last semester. But before I get too righteous about these guys and champion their hard work to death, one has to keep things in perspective.
Filmmakers the world over are embracing digital technology at a rapid rate. Yet until digital technology becomes dirt cheap, DIY filmmakers (like some of the practitioners above once were) will always be looking for ways of creating the illusion and fabricating the effect that doesn’t cost a severed arm or leg, using only basic materials, practical ingenuity, a little love and passion, and, above all, a good old-fashioned horror know how.
For an unusual, yet very convincing example of elaborate prosthetic make-up click here to see the before and after of how special effects make-up artist Neil Gorton transformed supertrash model Jordan (Katie Price) into a middle-aged bag lady for a UK reality show Jordan Gets Even (2005).
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia pages:
The Exorcist and Street Trash
Call me old fashioned, but I’ve chosen the ringing tone on my mobile “nostalgia” which is the actual ringing bell sound from domestic telephones, while my message tone is the voice of someone whistle-hailing, then shouting “Taxi!”
I know there are numerous advantages to utilising computers. Certainly financial ones as far as the producers are concerned. But the humble reasoning for using prosthetic make-up effects fits claw in glove with the whole aesthetic of the horror film.
Right from the beginning when filmmakers first turned to stories of ghosts, ghouls, haunted houses and monsters shuffling in the darkness, they achieved the desired visual effects by way of fabrication, manipulation and illusion in front of the camera lens - the prestige of the nightmare, if I may be so bold.
There was a magic to behold in creating images of horror and terror through the use of clever prosthetics, tricky lighting, camera-cranking, smoke and mirrors and hidden harnesses.
The extraordinary achievements these artists reached during modern horror’s crimson heyday is something to behold indeed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again SFX moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and check this shit out you may just miss some of the best old school effects work that has ever been committed to celluloid.
It won’t be long before all features are “filmed” directly to digital master, and every single effect will be a digital composite or CGI, while featured extras and even some of the cast’s small speaking parts will be digitally “performed” (I dread the day).
Some of the landmark kinds of visceral SFX makeup work that will be replaced by CGI;
• Dick Smith’s diabolical possession of Linda Blair in The Exorcist (1973).
• Rick Baker’s daylight werewolf transformation from An American Werewolf in London (1981) and his surreal body-technology mutations in Videodrome (1982)
• Rob Bottin’s outlandish alien transformations, mutations and killings in The Thing (1982), also his werewolf transformations in The Howling (1981)
• Tom Sullivan’s human dismemberments and demonic possessions in The Evil Dead (1982)
• Tom Savini’s graphic zombie surgery and destruction of humans by zombies in Day of the Dead (1985), as well as his earlier work in Dawn of the Dead (1978)
• Stan Winston’s extra-terrestrial animatronic work in Aliens (1986)
• Jennifer Aspinall and Tom Lackey’s elaborate melt work and human degradation in Street Trash (1987)
• Richard Taylor and WETA’s messy zombie carnage in Braindead (1992)
Curiously (and with great relief) I learnt that both Dick Smith and Tom Savini teach a Special Effects Make-Up Program at Douglas Education Center in Pennsylvania where they incorporate an advanced professional makeup seminar into the program’s last semester. But before I get too righteous about these guys and champion their hard work to death, one has to keep things in perspective.
Filmmakers the world over are embracing digital technology at a rapid rate. Yet until digital technology becomes dirt cheap, DIY filmmakers (like some of the practitioners above once were) will always be looking for ways of creating the illusion and fabricating the effect that doesn’t cost a severed arm or leg, using only basic materials, practical ingenuity, a little love and passion, and, above all, a good old-fashioned horror know how.
For an unusual, yet very convincing example of elaborate prosthetic make-up click here to see the before and after of how special effects make-up artist Neil Gorton transformed supertrash model Jordan (Katie Price) into a middle-aged bag lady for a UK reality show Jordan Gets Even (2005).
* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia pages:
The Exorcist and Street Trash
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Well written except for the use of the word S ...t, do you know any "polite" substitutes, make them clean, or I just won't read.
You really are a very good writer, shame about the subject.
Is that your little sister, she's very beautiful but has some of your dark mystery.
katyzzz
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
What's that Street Trash movie about? It looks sickly interesting.
I love horror movie taglines - they're ridiculous sometimes!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Thankyou for your praise. It sticks well, like congealing blood (lol) ...
"shame about the subject"? Well, when blogging, 'tis best to write about what one knows well. I know horror movies pretty darn well, I'd like to think. If I decided to blog about the use of pure mathematics in the modern world, well, let's just say, it'll never happen.
As for my (rather restrained) use of expletives. I think there is a time and place for the odd bit of foul language. It depends on the context. In my blog writing as you're proabably aware, I don't use expletives really at all. However on occasion there I feel the use of a word with a bit of a punch or slap to it makes a sentence just that little bit more, shall we say, potent, or perhaps even subversive. Especially since I'm writing about cinema's bad brother, or dark sister, whatever your gender fancy is in refererring to horror..
I could've used the word "stuff" I suppose, but I wanted to grapple with a more pungent reference, something earthy and slightly pugnacious. It was meant to be a little reprimanding, but kinda affectionate too ...
I'm sorry if my colourful use of the English language occasionally offends your sensibilities, but hey ... as I say, rock'n'roll, deal with it.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Yeah, go the old school!!! Go the taglines! Another hilarious one is the one for Re-Animator "Herbert West has a very good head on his shoulders ... and another in a tray on his desk" HAHA!
As for Street Trash. The only decent movie made by the Troma team (The Toxic Avenger, Surf Nazis Must Die, Redneck Zombies, ad nasueam). Actually it sticks out melted head and shoulders above the rest of their uber-low-budget trashfests. Directed by Jim Muro, who would subsequently - due to his camerawork on Street Trash - become the most in-demand Steadicam operator in America. It has some pretty gross out moments, a lot of toilet humour (which I normally can't abide), but is directed with massive chunks of chutzpah and SFX ingenuity. One of those late night, beer'n'popcorn, slouched around the sofa kinda flicks, y'know?
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
"Is that your little sister, she is very beautiful, but has some of your dark mystery ..." I'm assuming you're referring to the b&w pic of Linda Blair ... whose seminal performance in The Exorcist includes some of the most foul-mouthed words to come out of a 12 year old girl in the history of cinema ... (although, the insults spewed out by the character Regan, weren't actually voiced by the young Linda, but instead by a much older woman with her voice treated).
Intriguing, considering your comment about my use of expletives, or was that all part of your master comment plan ...? (wink, wink)
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
That make over of Jordan is amazing. She's totally unrecognisable....and it's amazingly realistic looking.
Now, back to your topic. I think that using computer generated imagery in moderation can be good. If you use too much of it though, the movie seems a bit soulless to me (eg the new star wars movies. The special effects were far more advanced than the older movies....but the new ones just seemed a bit too slick for me). Slick sure, but soulless.
KylieW
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
You're Old Fashioned....
Lilla...
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I agree that CGI used in moderation can be fine. In fact there are some movies, for example Sin City, which are predominantly CGI but work a treat, they are designed in that fashion.
But in horror, that's where I become more of a purist. Guess I'm showing my age a little in having seen most of these seminal cult classics back in the day, and so there's a level of nostalgia, sure. But the examples I gave illustrate quite incredibly that you can achieve truly startling work and be nowhere near a computer armed with Flame and a green screen.
There are however a few recent horrors with some CGI that have used it well (Dawn of the Dead remake), Wrong Turn, The Hills Have Eyes)
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Thankyou. I'll take that as a compliment.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Some trivia for you [something I do know]... Linda Blair spent much time in an asylum after filming the Exorcist. The make-up was that good I guess without digital enhancement... scientists have found that horror and violence turns girls off (majority of girls, sorry) whilst actually exciting men... go figure... maybe that's a comment for the other post about the difference between the brains...*lool & lol*
Maybe all the subliminal embedding made it so good... isn't that illegal now?
Lilla...
Comment by Hellvis
Earache Hotel
I agree with your old-school FX vs CGI ethos, and the examples you gave are definitely superlative ones.
There's something wholesome about prosthetics and makeup. They give films a home-made feel that warms the cockles of the heart like momma's home cookin'.
I think CGI has amazing potential for realism, but when its done badly it just looks odd. At least dodgy prosthetics and fx can add a but of trashy fun to a film, whereas bad CGI just sux; especially in horror, where you want to believe that axe just went through the annoying chick's head, or the priest was impaled on a fence post.
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
With the mastery of language you exhibit I'm sure you could come up with a superb word or phrase in keeping with the rest of your work, which is itself superb, and I'm only too happy to call you old fashioned, your point about pure mathematics is taken, and around here I'm sure you wouldn't have many readers except me.
Much of what I say and do is "wink wink" but I do think that child is beautiful, had no idea what she represented, you know me, Ms innocent {please don't say ignorant, you've got far too much style for that}.
You certainly have a hard topic but present it extremely well as I've said before and your site design is also fantastic, what more can I say, I don't have your grasp of the English language, I could work on it but my mind is turned to different directions but I do appreciate your excellence.
Your talents perhaps deserve better than you're currently experiencing, but that is just a calculated guess.
Don't ever be too sensitive, too many people around here are, it's sad really.
Even I have my sensitive moments which no-one much ever thinks about, being overly obsessed with their own.
The flack I'll cop is mine, don't take it on board.
You've won me as far as I can go, your horror sister.
katyzzz
Comment by Sisi
Comment by Joe Blogg
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
Street Trash was a great fillum although the rape scene was hard going.
Braindead was a classique. The lawnmower scene was inspired.
Totally agree about Evil Dead & the other Deads (including Shaun,remake of Dawn & Return Of The Living)
Also loved Halloween.
Blood Sucking Freaks left an impact.
Anyhoo, I can't recall Street Trash ever being name dropped before. Good call that.
Not quite horror but I'm a bit of Troma film fan - love Surf Nazis Must Die.
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
I think, in general, part of what people appreciate about any art is the skill that goes into it.
Although it might also be true that standards of realism are changing: perhaps what one could get with 20 years ago simply wouldn't pass anymore. I'm frightened by how unfrightening movies like Poltergeist now are.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I splash Dark Crimson Blood upon all your heads!
Now to some replies ...
Lilla,
Poor old Linda, huh? She did however return in Boorman's confused sequel The Heretic (1977) ... and then later in the underrated Hell Night (1981).
I was under the impression director William Friedkin added the subliminal spectre imagery in the Director's Cut, which only came out a few years ago. Curious if such stuff is illiegal ....
Hellvis,
Word up blood brother! Totally with you.
katyzzz,
Muchos gracias Colour Queen! Now don't you stray!!
Sisi,
Cheers for the link! Yeah, that Jordan transformation is something else, huh?
Joe Blogg,
Welcome to my Nightmare! Thank you for your kind words, and a firm handshake on your horror affinity. Check out my current Braindead post
and Adrian,
Cheers mate! I agree with you, although you look at Rob Bottin's work on The Thing - nearly 25 years ago - and I haven't seen any SFX as good as that in a horror film that's come out in the last few years.
Comment by Hellvis
Earache Hotel
While there's some amazing stuff in that movie, there's also some dodgy stuff that's just a whole lot of fun. The scene in the projects where the guy's head gets blown off is hilarious in slow-mo: it looks like a paper mache head filled with butcher's offcuts getting blown up. The scene where the zombie gets the top of his head lopped off by the chopper blades is also a hoot. From the moment he enters the screen, you can tell there's something not quite right about his head: it's too tall and has a flat top that is barely covered up by his wig. This is great stuff.
I really do respect Tom Savini's work and these early makeup and prosthetic effects. But even when they're bad they make a movie a helluva lot more fun than one with CGI, and the gore always seems more real even when you can tell it's not.
Sorry to belabour a point that seems to be universally agreed with here. Just wanted to share last night's Dawn of the Dead experience.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Fully appreciated. Nothing's laboured with horror. It's just forced, hamfisted, slammed, butchered and torn assunder ... yeeeeeeaaah!
Comment by Jessicca
Learning Something Everyday
One of them (I can't remember the title of the film) is about the movie where a photographer's closest friends started commiting suicide out of no reason and thus the girl friend of the photographer starts to research upon why such things happen when she thought she banged onto a girl and her boyfriend started having neck pain after the accident...
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Jessicca
Learning Something Everyday
These days in Malaysia, cinemas always show horror movies in two occation, one is the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar, and another is Halloween time. This year however, the 7th lunar month is a leap month in the chinese calendar so in stead of we are having horror movies for a month we see movies popping out everywhere for whole two months... LOL...
Imagine those who really can't take horror...
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Not.
Heh heh ....
Comment by Werewolf wanabe
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile