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Coming this week:
1. Outland: Someone else posted about it here. A science fiction take on High Noon with the look of ALIEN and with the man himself, Sean Connery. This was one of the few film that utilized a sophisitcated front projection process called Introvision for most of the effects as a substitute for blue screen. I'll have to see how those Introvision effects look today.
2. Brainstorm: A pet project of director and special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull about a company that devised a system that records and plays back experiences and memories for for other people like they are happening to you. The normal story part of the movie was filmed in regular 35mm and mono sound and the "Brainstorm" sequences were done in 70mm and surround sound to be an immersive experience. Of course, this never came off as planned because of the untimely death of star Natalie Wood. The movie was shelved for a time but Trumbull eventually convinced the heads that he had enough filmed with Natalie to finish the movie. The movie was eventually finished and released but was not the triumph that Trumbull was hoping for. Although I always thought it was a great movie.
3. Altered States: This movie went through two directors, two studios and changed effects crews and was disowned by the writer Paddy Chayefski. It was the debut if William Hurt, Blair Brown and in a small part Drew Barrymoore. Out of all the behind the scenes chaos came a movie I thought was great. William Hurt is an obsessed scientist who combines halucinegetics with sensory depravation to achieve regression to the earier versions of man (which he beleives are a part of all our genetic material). Along the way there are wild visions and 'ol William's character himself becoming a primitive man ( using a different actor and Dick Smith's makeup). the effects are incredible and utilize some computer techniques we take for granted today, like using the computer for making rotoscope mattes. Being Paddy Chayefski (Network, The Hospital), the dialog is thick and juicy and most of the acting is
1. Outland: Someone else posted about it here. A science fiction take on High Noon with the look of ALIEN and with the man himself, Sean Connery. This was one of the few film that utilized a sophisitcated front projection process called Introvision for most of the effects as a substitute for blue screen. I'll have to see how those Introvision effects look today.
2. Brainstorm: A pet project of director and special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull about a company that devised a system that records and plays back experiences and memories for for other people like they are happening to you. The normal story part of the movie was filmed in regular 35mm and mono sound and the "Brainstorm" sequences were done in 70mm and surround sound to be an immersive experience. Of course, this never came off as planned because of the untimely death of star Natalie Wood. The movie was shelved for a time but Trumbull eventually convinced the heads that he had enough filmed with Natalie to finish the movie. The movie was eventually finished and released but was not the triumph that Trumbull was hoping for. Although I always thought it was a great movie.
3. Altered States: This movie went through two directors, two studios and changed effects crews and was disowned by the writer Paddy Chayefski. It was the debut if William Hurt, Blair Brown and in a small part Drew Barrymoore. Out of all the behind the scenes chaos came a movie I thought was great. William Hurt is an obsessed scientist who combines halucinegetics with sensory depravation to achieve regression to the earier versions of man (which he beleives are a part of all our genetic material). Along the way there are wild visions and 'ol William's character himself becoming a primitive man ( using a different actor and Dick Smith's makeup). the effects are incredible and utilize some computer techniques we take for granted today, like using the computer for making rotoscope mattes. Being Paddy Chayefski (Network, The Hospital), the dialog is thick and juicy and most of the acting is
