Peter Berkos, the Universal Pictures sound effects maestro and champion of sound editors everywhere who shared a special achievement Oscar for his work on the Robert Wise-directed disaster epic The Hindenburg, has died. He was 101.
Berkos died Tuesday in Rancho Bernardo, California, his friend Brae Wyckoff told The Hollywood Reporter.
While president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors from 1963-66, Berkos began a successful campaign for his colleagues to gain full membership into the film and television academies and to receive credit onscreen and off for their work.
Berkos himself was uncredited for the first 20 years of his career until Car Wash (1976), and the Oscars would eventually revive its dormant competitive sound effects category from 1983 onward.
Across four decades, he worked for Universal on such films as Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958), four features directed by George Roy Hill — Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), the Oscar best picture winner The Sting...
Berkos died Tuesday in Rancho Bernardo, California, his friend Brae Wyckoff told The Hollywood Reporter.
While president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors from 1963-66, Berkos began a successful campaign for his colleagues to gain full membership into the film and television academies and to receive credit onscreen and off for their work.
Berkos himself was uncredited for the first 20 years of his career until Car Wash (1976), and the Oscars would eventually revive its dormant competitive sound effects category from 1983 onward.
Across four decades, he worked for Universal on such films as Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958), four features directed by George Roy Hill — Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), the Oscar best picture winner The Sting...
- 1/3/2024
- by Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From The Video Archives Podcast, writer/director Roger Avary and writer/producer Gala Avary discuss a few of their favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Taxi Driver (1976)
Star Wars (1977)
Matinee (1993)
Dune (1984)
Terror On A Train a.k.a. Time Bomb (1953)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Batman (1989)
Yentl (1983)
Nuts (1987)
Spaceballs (1987)
Die Hard (1988)
Top Gun (1986)
Cocksucker Blues (1972)
Mijn nachten met Susan, Olga, Albert, Julie, Piet & Sandra (1975)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Day Of The Dolphin (1973)
Babylon (2022)
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
Carrie (1976)
Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)
Blow Out (1981)
The Matrix (1999)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Killing Zoe (1993)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Tenant (1976)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Bugsy Malone (1976)
Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
The Rules Of Attraction (2002)
The Sound Of Music (1965)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Giant (1956)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Babe (1995)
Time Bandits...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Taxi Driver (1976)
Star Wars (1977)
Matinee (1993)
Dune (1984)
Terror On A Train a.k.a. Time Bomb (1953)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Batman (1989)
Yentl (1983)
Nuts (1987)
Spaceballs (1987)
Die Hard (1988)
Top Gun (1986)
Cocksucker Blues (1972)
Mijn nachten met Susan, Olga, Albert, Julie, Piet & Sandra (1975)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Day Of The Dolphin (1973)
Babylon (2022)
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
Carrie (1976)
Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)
Blow Out (1981)
The Matrix (1999)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Killing Zoe (1993)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Tenant (1976)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Bugsy Malone (1976)
Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
The Rules Of Attraction (2002)
The Sound Of Music (1965)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Giant (1956)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Babe (1995)
Time Bandits...
- 2/28/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
It’s one of the best cop shows of the 1960s! Detective Madigan’s police .38 is stolen by a mad-dog killer, forcing him to take extra risks just as more problems personal and professional close in on him. Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens and Harry Guardino give sterling performances, and the assured direction of Don Siegel keeps us on edge throughout. Siegel’s editing is extra-kinetic, and for warped screen villainy, Steve Ihnat’s maniac has no equal.
Madigan
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date September 12, 2022 / available through Powerhouse / £15.99
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Michael Dunn, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Raymond St. Jacques, Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth, Lloyd Gough, Virginia Gregg, Woodrow Parfrey, Conrad Bain.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Milton Shifman
Visual Effects: Albert Whitlock
Original Music: Don Costa...
Madigan
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date September 12, 2022 / available through Powerhouse / £15.99
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Michael Dunn, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Raymond St. Jacques, Bert Freed, Harry Bellaver, Frank Marth, Lloyd Gough, Virginia Gregg, Woodrow Parfrey, Conrad Bain.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Milton Shifman
Visual Effects: Albert Whitlock
Original Music: Don Costa...
- 8/20/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The triple-threat talent Gordon Parks gets carte blanche to film his own autobiographical novel back in his old home town — and the result is one of the better depictions of growing up black in the Midwest. Parks’ memories don’t wield a fiery political agenda, nor does he say that ‘there were good people on both sides.’ It was what it was and it wasn’t always pretty. As young Newt, Kyle Johnson ‘does the right thing’ and his experience helps explain the pervading lack of faith in justice, to put it mildly. Parks’ beautiful film remains positive, reflecting his warm memories, and his direction gives us a full ensemble of black talent at work: this is said to be the first Hollywood film produced and directed by a black man.
The Learning Tree
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1107
1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 107 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 14, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Kyle Johnson,...
The Learning Tree
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1107
1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 107 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 14, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Kyle Johnson,...
- 12/21/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ignored, maligned and hammered out into an ‘Alan Smithee’ extended cut for TV, David Lynch’s outstanding Sci-fi epic arrives on 4K Ultra HD, finally achieving the visual opulence on home video that it had in 70mm prints at the end of 1984. The fractured, de-Lynched storyline can be argued over, but the amazing design and arresting characterizations never fail to impress — Lynch attracted a world-class cast of movie stars and used them well. Even if it’s described as a hundred fragmented scenes from a larger narrative, they’re superlative fragments. Lynch should have been authorized to make an alternate cut, his own completely personal ‘impressionist’ version of the Frank Herbert story.
Dune
4K Ultra HD
Arrow Video
1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 137 min. / Street Date August 31, 2021 / 59.95
Starring (alphabetically): Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana Mangano, Everett McGill,...
Dune
4K Ultra HD
Arrow Video
1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 137 min. / Street Date August 31, 2021 / 59.95
Starring (alphabetically): Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana Mangano, Everett McGill,...
- 8/31/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Acclaimed writer/director David Lowery joins Josh and Joe to discuss the films that inspired The Green Knight.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Green Knight (2021)
Peter Pan & Wendy (2022)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Old Man And The Gun (2018)
A Ghost Story (2017)
Pete’s Dragon (1977)
Pete’s Dragon (2016) – Glenn Erickson’s review
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013)
Ghost Story (1974)
Sword of the Valiant (1984)
Gawain and the Green Knight (1973)
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)
Masters of the Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Andrei Rublev (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards blurb
War And Peace (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Heaven’s Gate (1980)
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Devils (1971)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Conjuring (2013)
Jubilee (1978)
Benedetta (2021)
Dune (1984)
Dune (2021)
Hard To Be A God (2013)
Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)
Moby Dick (1956) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Green Knight (2021)
Peter Pan & Wendy (2022)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Old Man And The Gun (2018)
A Ghost Story (2017)
Pete’s Dragon (1977)
Pete’s Dragon (2016) – Glenn Erickson’s review
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013)
Ghost Story (1974)
Sword of the Valiant (1984)
Gawain and the Green Knight (1973)
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)
Masters of the Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Andrei Rublev (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards blurb
War And Peace (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Heaven’s Gate (1980)
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Devils (1971)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Conjuring (2013)
Jubilee (1978)
Benedetta (2021)
Dune (1984)
Dune (2021)
Hard To Be A God (2013)
Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)
Moby Dick (1956) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary,...
- 8/31/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The great Larry Wilmore joins us to share some very personal double features.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
1917 (2019)
Animal Crackers (1930)
Duck Soup (1933)
My Little Chickadee (1940)
A Night At The Opera (1935)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Parallax View (1974)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Jaws (1975)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Party (1968)
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)
Richard Pryor: Live And Smokin’ (1971)
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Lenny (1974)
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
Lolita (1962)
Caligula (1979)
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
The Elephant Man (1980)
What Would Jack Do? (2020)
Blue Velvet (1986)
The Apartment (1960)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Sting (1973)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
1917 (2019)
Animal Crackers (1930)
Duck Soup (1933)
My Little Chickadee (1940)
A Night At The Opera (1935)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Parallax View (1974)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Jaws (1975)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Party (1968)
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)
Richard Pryor: Live And Smokin’ (1971)
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Lenny (1974)
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
Lolita (1962)
Caligula (1979)
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
The Elephant Man (1980)
What Would Jack Do? (2020)
Blue Velvet (1986)
The Apartment (1960)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Sting (1973)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid...
- 3/10/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
One of the more satisfying costume adventures of the ‘sixties is also one of its star’s best vehicles. Charlton Heston was born to play bigger-than-life historical types, and his Norman knight in this film has the benefit of an intelligent screenplay and a terrific supporting ensemble. This hero’s armor doesn’t shine — he’s more than willing to risk everything to possess a pagan woman with whom he’s become infatuated. Many would-be epics want us to think that the charms of unlikely damsels like Virginia Mayo and Claudette Colbert changed the course of history, but this show makes it seem more than possible. Plus, it features great action scenes and a terrific music score by Jerome Moross.
The War Lord
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 123 min. / Special Edition / Street Date January 21, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Maurice Evans, Guy Stockwell,...
The War Lord
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 123 min. / Special Edition / Street Date January 21, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Maurice Evans, Guy Stockwell,...
- 1/14/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Kurt Vonnegut’s quirky sci-fi novels didn’t always adapt well to film, but George Roy Hill’s 1972 effort is a faithful winner. The filmmaking craft used to ‘unstick’ Billy Pilgrim in time is nothing short of brilliant, highlighting the camera talent of Miroslav Ondricek and the editing skill of Dede Allen. The book even has a built-in sex angle that the film doesn’t shy away from — providing our first encounter with Valerie Perrine as a starlet kidnapped by aliens curious about human mating habits. The somber, sometimes spiritually-defeatist tone of the show represents the book well; it ought to be better known.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date December 3, 2019 / Available from Arrow Academy
Starring: Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans, Valerie Perrine, Holly Near, Perry King, Kevin Conway, Friedrich von Ledebur, Sorrell Booke, Roberts Blossom, John Dehner, Stan Gottlieb, Karl-Otto Alberty, Henry Bumstead,...
Slaughterhouse-Five
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date December 3, 2019 / Available from Arrow Academy
Starring: Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans, Valerie Perrine, Holly Near, Perry King, Kevin Conway, Friedrich von Ledebur, Sorrell Booke, Roberts Blossom, John Dehner, Stan Gottlieb, Karl-Otto Alberty, Henry Bumstead,...
- 12/3/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Manhattan detective Richard Widmark is up the creek without his .38 special — a maniac killer has stolen it. He’s desperate to get it back, while his personal and professional problems pile up. Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens and Harry Guardino give sterling performances, but the assured direction of Don Siegel is what keeps us on edge throughout. The classic crime saga pushed the limits of the incoming Ratings System — yet provided a style template for a decade of Universal cop shows. Siegel utilizes blunt jarring cutting effects to make its violence feel extra-intense — and for warped screen villainy, Steve Ihnat’s Barney Benesch has no equal — he has less than three minutes of screen time, but you’ll never forget him.
Madigan
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date November 12, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark,...
Madigan
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 101 min. / Street Date November 12, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino, James Whitmore, Susan Clark,...
- 11/16/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hidden behind the membership-only barrier of The Disney Movie Club is a long-delayed, long-missed key feature from The Mouse, Walt’s masterful super-production of the timeless Jules Verne classic. Despite the funny songs and an annoyingly ‘ork-ork’-ing sea lion, the lavishly filmed show embraces the dark side of Verne’s vision — Captain Nemo is nothing less than an anti-Colonial terrorist, waging a one-submarine war against international warmongers. With the commanding James Mason in the role, the film’s furious politics are as impressive as the to-die-for art direction: this Disney family attraction has us rooting for the terrorist and against the Imperialist European powers.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Blu-ray
The Disney Movie Club
1954 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 127 min. / Anniversary Edition / Street Date June 18, 2019 / Disney Movie Club exclusive.
Starring: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, Robert J. Wilke, Ted de Corsia, Carleton Young.
Cinematography: Franz Planer
Film Editor: Elmo Williams...
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Blu-ray
The Disney Movie Club
1954 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 127 min. / Anniversary Edition / Street Date June 18, 2019 / Disney Movie Club exclusive.
Starring: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, Robert J. Wilke, Ted de Corsia, Carleton Young.
Cinematography: Franz Planer
Film Editor: Elmo Williams...
- 7/2/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Jumpin’ gingivitis! Vicious microbes from space threaten the world, and our only hope is a team of scientists in an underground lab in Nevada. But the sneaky germ from the cosmos is a-mutatin’ faster than a mess o’ jackrabbits, to a form that doesn’t just kill people, but totally consumes our flesh! No, it’s not David Cronenberg or Nigel Kneale, but the ultra-literal director Robert Wise that put this slick, expensive Sci-fi thriller on the screen, from the best-seller by the commercially savvy Michael Crichton.
The Andromeda Strain
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1971 / Color / 2:35 / 131 min. / Street Date June 4, 2019 / Available from Arrow Video / 39.95
Starring: Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson, Kate Reid,
Paula Kelly, George Mitchell, Ramon Bieri.
Cinematography: Richard H. Kline
Production Designer: Boris Leven
Film Editors: Stuart Gilmore, John W. Holmes
Original Music: Gil Melle
Special Effects: James Shourt, Albert Whitlock, John Whitney Sr., Douglas Trumbull
Written by...
The Andromeda Strain
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1971 / Color / 2:35 / 131 min. / Street Date June 4, 2019 / Available from Arrow Video / 39.95
Starring: Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson, Kate Reid,
Paula Kelly, George Mitchell, Ramon Bieri.
Cinematography: Richard H. Kline
Production Designer: Boris Leven
Film Editors: Stuart Gilmore, John W. Holmes
Original Music: Gil Melle
Special Effects: James Shourt, Albert Whitlock, John Whitney Sr., Douglas Trumbull
Written by...
- 5/28/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Big One tears through California in 1974's Earthquake, which is coming to Blu-ray like never before with a new Collector's Edition featuring both the theatrical and TV versions of the Charlton Heston-starring disaster film.
From the Press Release: Charlton Heston leads an all-star cast in an epic film about ordinary citizens who must come together in the face of an unstoppable natural disaster in Earthquake! This Academy Award-winning disaster epic will be released as a two-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray May 21st, 2019 from Shout! Factory. Featuring both a new 2k scan of the theatrical cut and a new 2k scan reconstruction of the TV version that contains over twenty additional minutes of footage not seen in the theatrical cut, the release also contains a number of new bonus features, including a new interview with Brett Burt discussing Sensurround, a new featurette on the music of the film, and more!
From the Press Release: Charlton Heston leads an all-star cast in an epic film about ordinary citizens who must come together in the face of an unstoppable natural disaster in Earthquake! This Academy Award-winning disaster epic will be released as a two-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray May 21st, 2019 from Shout! Factory. Featuring both a new 2k scan of the theatrical cut and a new 2k scan reconstruction of the TV version that contains over twenty additional minutes of footage not seen in the theatrical cut, the release also contains a number of new bonus features, including a new interview with Brett Burt discussing Sensurround, a new featurette on the music of the film, and more!
- 4/12/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
One of the most jeered-at, overcooked sequels of all time thoroughly deserves its reputation as a train wreck of a movie. In hindsight we see a heap of resources and cinematic fireworks thrown at a project with little chance of survival. ‘There must be a sequel’ spake Warner Bros., and lo Sir John of Boorman stepped up to the plate. I think a lot of the scorn was blowback from the power of the original Friedkin picture, a blockbuster that was just too profane of an act to follow.
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1977 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 118 and 102 min. / Collector’s Edition / Street Date September 25, 2018 34.93
Starring: Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max von Sydow, Kitty Winn, Paul Henreid, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty, Belinda Beatty, Rose Portillo.
Cinematography: William A. Fraker
Film Editor: Tom Priestley
Special Visual Effects: Bill Hansard, Albert Whitlock, Frank Van Der Veer
Special...
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1977 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 118 and 102 min. / Collector’s Edition / Street Date September 25, 2018 34.93
Starring: Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max von Sydow, Kitty Winn, Paul Henreid, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty, Belinda Beatty, Rose Portillo.
Cinematography: William A. Fraker
Film Editor: Tom Priestley
Special Visual Effects: Bill Hansard, Albert Whitlock, Frank Van Der Veer
Special...
- 10/2/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
After releasing The Thing Collector's Edition Blu-ray back in 2016, Scream Factory is heading back to the arctic on November 6th with a new Steelbook Blu-ray of John Carpenter's classic horror film, which will include a recent 4K transfer, new artwork by Nathanael Marsh, and plenty of previously released bonus features for fans to enjoy:
From Scream Factory: "Ever since we started releasing Steelbook® packaging of some of our prior John Carpenter titles, we been asked many times if we could also do this for his signature classic film The Thing. Today we’re happy to announce that we are doing just that and even upgrading our previous in the process! Read on for more details:
• Official street date is November 6th for U.S. and Canada territories (Region A).
• This is a 3-Disc Blu-ray set. Disc 1 will include a more recent 2017 4K High-Definition scan of the film that was...
From Scream Factory: "Ever since we started releasing Steelbook® packaging of some of our prior John Carpenter titles, we been asked many times if we could also do this for his signature classic film The Thing. Today we’re happy to announce that we are doing just that and even upgrading our previous in the process! Read on for more details:
• Official street date is November 6th for U.S. and Canada territories (Region A).
• This is a 3-Disc Blu-ray set. Disc 1 will include a more recent 2017 4K High-Definition scan of the film that was...
- 8/8/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Secure one major book with a serious subject, sign up a wagonload of stars (including a legend or two) and make sure every cookie-cutter character repeatedly explains themselves to the camera in close-up. That formula worked well for Stanley Kramer in 1965; his film hasn’t much of a reputation but the cast is gold. A bright new transfer makes the picture look very good.
Ship of Fools
Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1965 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 149 min. / Street Date March 9, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Oskar Werner, Elizabeth Ashley, George Segal, José Greco, Michael Dunn, Charles Korvin, Heinz Rühmann, Lilia Skala, Barbara Luna, Alf Kjellin, Werner Klemperer,
Gila Golan, Kaaren Verne.
Cinematography: Ernest Laszlo
Film Editor: Robert C. Jones
Special visual effects: John Burke, Farciot Edouart, Albert Whitlock
Original Music: Ernest Gold
Written by Abby Mann from the novel by Katherine Anne Porter
Produced and directed by Stanley...
Ship of Fools
Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1965 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 149 min. / Street Date March 9, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Oskar Werner, Elizabeth Ashley, George Segal, José Greco, Michael Dunn, Charles Korvin, Heinz Rühmann, Lilia Skala, Barbara Luna, Alf Kjellin, Werner Klemperer,
Gila Golan, Kaaren Verne.
Cinematography: Ernest Laszlo
Film Editor: Robert C. Jones
Special visual effects: John Burke, Farciot Edouart, Albert Whitlock
Original Music: Ernest Gold
Written by Abby Mann from the novel by Katherine Anne Porter
Produced and directed by Stanley...
- 3/10/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This nearly forgotten Sci-fi masterpiece should have been a monster hit. For some reason Universal didn’t think that a computer menace was commercial — the year after 2001. The superior drama sells a tough concept: the government activates a defense computer programmed to keep the peace. It does exactly that, but by holding the world hostage while it makes itself a God above mankind.
Colossus: The Forbin Project
Region B Blu-ray
Medium Rare UK
1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date March 27, 2017 / Available from Amazon UK £6.99
Starring: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, William Schallert, Leonid Rostoff, Georg Stanford Brown, Willard Sage, Alex Rodine, Martin Brooks, Marion Ross, Dolph Sweet, Robert Cornthwaite, James Hong, Paul Frees, Robert Quarry.
Cinematography: Gene Polito
Film Editor: Folmar Blangsted
Visual Effects: Albert Whitlock, Don Record
Original Music: Michel Colombier
Written by James Bridges, from a novel by D.F. Jones
Produced by Stanley Chase
Directed by Joseph Sargent...
Colossus: The Forbin Project
Region B Blu-ray
Medium Rare UK
1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date March 27, 2017 / Available from Amazon UK £6.99
Starring: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, William Schallert, Leonid Rostoff, Georg Stanford Brown, Willard Sage, Alex Rodine, Martin Brooks, Marion Ross, Dolph Sweet, Robert Cornthwaite, James Hong, Paul Frees, Robert Quarry.
Cinematography: Gene Polito
Film Editor: Folmar Blangsted
Visual Effects: Albert Whitlock, Don Record
Original Music: Michel Colombier
Written by James Bridges, from a novel by D.F. Jones
Produced by Stanley Chase
Directed by Joseph Sargent...
- 3/3/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In regards to his filmic output, director Michael Winner was wildly inconsistent at his worst and wholly divisive at his best (and vice versa). The remarkable thing is that those two extreme opinions can be about the same film; some find the kinetic sleaze of Death Wish (1974) powerful and disturbing, others find its ham-fisted social grazing problematic and off-putting. But it was a big hit, so naturally Universal let him ride the satanic tide with The Sentinel (1977), a Good vs. Evil, Portal to Hell potboiler that warms this Fulci-loving heart three years before Lucio even set foot in New Orleans.
Given a limited release in January stateside, The Sentinel barely broke even on its $4 million budget, and the critics hated it, deeming it lurid, reprehensible trash. Which it is; but it’s also ridiculously entertaining and has a few truly haunting moments. Turns out Winner could do horror—and yet...
Given a limited release in January stateside, The Sentinel barely broke even on its $4 million budget, and the critics hated it, deeming it lurid, reprehensible trash. Which it is; but it’s also ridiculously entertaining and has a few truly haunting moments. Turns out Winner could do horror—and yet...
- 9/23/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Look out: John Carpenter's chilly tale of shape-shifting chaos at the South Pole creeps back with a new transfer and two fully stocked discs of extras old and new, including the bowdlerized Network cut, just for laughs. The picture still works like gangbusters -- the best monsters are still the gooey, rubbery pre-cgi kind. John Carpenter's The Thing Collector's Edition Blu-ray Scream Factory 1982 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 109 min. / Street Date September 20, 2016 / 34.93 Starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis. Cinematography Dean Cundey Production Design John J. Lloyd Special Makeup Effects Rob Bottin Film Editor Todd Ramsay Original Music Ennio Morricone Written by Bill Lancaster from the short story "Who Goes There?"by John W. Campbell Jr. Produced by David Foster, Lawrence Turman Directed by John Carpenter
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
It's been eight years since...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
It's been eight years since...
- 11/1/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
On October 11th, horror and sci-fi fans have many reasons to rejoice, as we have two stellar Collector’s Edition releases from Scream Factory coming our way this week, The Thing and Carrie. Arrow Video is also keeping busy this Tuesday with two Special Edition releases of their own—The Hills Have Eyes and Dark Water (2002)—and the most recent Ghostbusters comes home this week on Blu-ray and DVD as well.
Other notable releases for October 11th include Hannibal: The Complete Series, 2 Jennifer, Astro-Zombies, Killer Ink, a holiday art version of Krampus, the entire run of Kolchak: The Night Stalker on DVD, A Werewolf in the Amazon collection, and an assortment of Blu-ray and DVD re-releases of The Twilight Zone.
Carrie: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, this "absolutely spellbinding horror movie", (Roger Ebert) has become a pervasive, pop-culture touchstone...
Other notable releases for October 11th include Hannibal: The Complete Series, 2 Jennifer, Astro-Zombies, Killer Ink, a holiday art version of Krampus, the entire run of Kolchak: The Night Stalker on DVD, A Werewolf in the Amazon collection, and an assortment of Blu-ray and DVD re-releases of The Twilight Zone.
Carrie: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, this "absolutely spellbinding horror movie", (Roger Ebert) has become a pervasive, pop-culture touchstone...
- 10/11/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
John Carpenter's classic horror film The Thing receives the Collector's Edition treatment from Scream Factory on Tuesday, October 11th, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.
————
Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Thing Collector's Edition.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Thing Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on October 14th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
————
From the Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing--a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide.
————
Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Thing Collector's Edition.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Thing Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on October 14th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
————
From the Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing--a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide.
- 10/8/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Coming out on a Collector's Edition Blu-ray on Tuesday, October 11th, Scream Factory's high-def release of John Carpenter's The Thing is teased in two clips and a trailer.
From the Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing--a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide. On [October 11th] the Scream Factory™ home entertainment brand is proud to present this landmark horror film in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 2K scan of the film (supervised by Director of Photography Dean Cundey) and over 5 hours of extras.
Directed by Carpenter, The Thing stars Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China) and features special visual effects by Albert Whitlock (Dune) and special makeup effects by Rob Bottin (The Howling, Fight Club). This definitive set includes a collectible...
From the Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing--a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide. On [October 11th] the Scream Factory™ home entertainment brand is proud to present this landmark horror film in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 2K scan of the film (supervised by Director of Photography Dean Cundey) and over 5 hours of extras.
Directed by Carpenter, The Thing stars Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China) and features special visual effects by Albert Whitlock (Dune) and special makeup effects by Rob Bottin (The Howling, Fight Club). This definitive set includes a collectible...
- 10/7/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Almost as scary as the alien parasite in John Carpenter's The Thing is the barren, brutally cold landscape surrounding the isolated characters. With The Thing being released on a Collector's Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory on October 11th, we've been provided with an exclusive behind-the-scenes Blu-ray clip in which actors Joel Polis, Peter Maloney, and Thomas G. Waites discuss filming in the arctic conditions.
From the Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing--a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide. On [October 11th] the Scream Factory™ home entertainment brand is proud to present this landmark horror film in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 2K scan of the film (supervised by Director of Photography Dean Cundey) and over 5 hours of extras.
Directed by Carpenter, The Thing stars Kurt Russell (Escape from New York,...
From the Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing--a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide. On [October 11th] the Scream Factory™ home entertainment brand is proud to present this landmark horror film in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 2K scan of the film (supervised by Director of Photography Dean Cundey) and over 5 hours of extras.
Directed by Carpenter, The Thing stars Kurt Russell (Escape from New York,...
- 10/4/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory has revealed the special features list and cover art for their Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of John Carpenter’s The Thing, due out on September 20th with a new 2K scan of the film’s inter-positive, a new audio commentary with director of photography Dean Cundey, and much more:
Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing–a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide. On September 20, 2016, the Scream Factory™ home entertainment brand is proud to present this landmark horror film in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 2K scan of the film (supervised by Director of Photography Dean Cundey) and over 5 hours of extras.
Directed by Carpenter, The Thing stars Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China) and features special visual effects...
Press Release: In 1982 legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, They Live) unleashed The Thing–a chilling sci-fi thriller that raised the bar on shocking special effects and terrified movie audiences worldwide. On September 20, 2016, the Scream Factory™ home entertainment brand is proud to present this landmark horror film in a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release which includes a brand new 2K scan of the film (supervised by Director of Photography Dean Cundey) and over 5 hours of extras.
Directed by Carpenter, The Thing stars Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China) and features special visual effects...
- 6/8/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Look out! Here come two A.I.P. horror pix from the soggy end of the Poe cycle: the first features Jason Robards, an impressive cast and a disorganized storyline. The second is an almost-good Lovecraft horror with interesting performances from Dean Stockwell and Sandra Dee. Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Dunwich Horror Blu-ray Color Scream Factory Street Date March 29, 2016 / 26.99
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Scream Factory's new double feature disc finishes off two different American-International horror series. The first picture is the last fright film made for the company by the directing and writing team of Gordon Hessler and Christopher Wicking. It's no gem, but it's a lot more interesting on a second viewing. The second is the company's final try to make that old joker H.P. Lovecraft into a filmic horror icon, like Edgar Allan Poe. It has a lot going for it, but also its own set of problems.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Scream Factory's new double feature disc finishes off two different American-International horror series. The first picture is the last fright film made for the company by the directing and writing team of Gordon Hessler and Christopher Wicking. It's no gem, but it's a lot more interesting on a second viewing. The second is the company's final try to make that old joker H.P. Lovecraft into a filmic horror icon, like Edgar Allan Poe. It has a lot going for it, but also its own set of problems.
- 3/8/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A few years ago the editors of Shadowlocked asked me to compile a list of what was initially to be, the ten greatest movie matte paintings of all time. A mere ten selections was too slim by a long shot, so my list stretched considerably to twenty, then thirty and finally a nice round fifty entries. Even with that number I found it wasn’t easy to narrow down a suitably wide ranging showcase of motion picture matte art that best represented the artform. So with that in mind, and due to the surprising popularity of that 2012 Shadowlocked list (which is well worth a visit, here Ed), I’ve assembled a further fifty wonderful examples of this vast, vital and more extensively utilised than you’d imagine – though now sadly ‘dead and buried’ – movie magic.
It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...
It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...
- 12/28/2015
- Shadowlocked
UK release from Second Sight.
By Tim Greaves
A quartet of ageing gentlemen friends (Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Melvyn Douglas) meet up on a weekly basis in the snow sprinkled town of Milburn, New England in order to exchange scary stories. Self-dubbed ‘The Chowder Society’, they challenge one another to come up with something truly unsettling. Good natured entertainment takes a sinister turn when a dastardly secret that has lain dormant for more than 50 years rears its terrifying head. Drawn helplessly from sweat-sodden nightmares into a living nightmare more frightening and deadly than anything conjured up in their yarning sessions, the comrades’ collective fate falls to the hands of a seemingly unstoppable entity hell bent on revenge. But revenge for what? What could the friends have possibly done all those years ago that was so terrible?
Now wait just a moment... Fred Astaire made a horror movie?...
By Tim Greaves
A quartet of ageing gentlemen friends (Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Melvyn Douglas) meet up on a weekly basis in the snow sprinkled town of Milburn, New England in order to exchange scary stories. Self-dubbed ‘The Chowder Society’, they challenge one another to come up with something truly unsettling. Good natured entertainment takes a sinister turn when a dastardly secret that has lain dormant for more than 50 years rears its terrifying head. Drawn helplessly from sweat-sodden nightmares into a living nightmare more frightening and deadly than anything conjured up in their yarning sessions, the comrades’ collective fate falls to the hands of a seemingly unstoppable entity hell bent on revenge. But revenge for what? What could the friends have possibly done all those years ago that was so terrible?
Now wait just a moment... Fred Astaire made a horror movie?...
- 11/18/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Michael Winner is the bad-taste choice to give The Exorcist a run for its money in the faux-religious horror shocker sweepstakes, and the brave actress Cristina Raines leads an impressive supporting cast as the unfortunate suicide attemptee chosen to be the new Gatekeeper for the portal to Hell. Don't expect to see a Keymaster, but instead some of the most indigestible exploitation of the mainstream decade -- mainly real sideshow oddities to represent 'evil' people. Easily the hands-down insensitivity champ of the '70s. The Sentinel Blu-ray Shout! Factory / Scream Factory 1977 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date September 22, 2015 / 27.99 Starring Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Arthur Kennedy, Deborah Raffin, Ava Gardner, John Carradine, Beverly D'Angelo, Eli Wallach, Sylvia Miles, Martin Balsam, José Ferrer, Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach, William Hickey, Jeff Goldblum, Anthony Holland, Tom Berenger. Cinematography Dick Kratina Special Effects Albert Whitlock Special Makeup Effects Dick Smith Original Music Gil Melle...
- 10/13/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By David S. Schow
Hall: “Where’s the library?”
Dutton: “No need for books — everything’s in the computer.”
One of the few regrets of my adult life is that I never got to meet Michael Crichton, who died too young, November 2008. Eminently emulatable, he had conquered publishing, film and television and remains a personal hero. I was hooked from the moment my father returned from his Arctic DEWLine duties bearing a paperback first printing of The Andromeda Strain, which I plowed through while in high school. Then immediately re-read, and re-read again.
I still have that paperback.
Subsequently I devoured everything Crichton wrote — the “John Lange” potboilers written to pay his way through medical school; the landmark A Case of Need (written as “Jeffrey Hudson;” a stingingly strong pro-choice novel done prior to the Roe v. Wade decision); even the dope fantasia Dealing, written with his brother as “Michael Douglas.
Hall: “Where’s the library?”
Dutton: “No need for books — everything’s in the computer.”
One of the few regrets of my adult life is that I never got to meet Michael Crichton, who died too young, November 2008. Eminently emulatable, he had conquered publishing, film and television and remains a personal hero. I was hooked from the moment my father returned from his Arctic DEWLine duties bearing a paperback first printing of The Andromeda Strain, which I plowed through while in high school. Then immediately re-read, and re-read again.
I still have that paperback.
Subsequently I devoured everything Crichton wrote — the “John Lange” potboilers written to pay his way through medical school; the landmark A Case of Need (written as “Jeffrey Hudson;” a stingingly strong pro-choice novel done prior to the Roe v. Wade decision); even the dope fantasia Dealing, written with his brother as “Michael Douglas.
- 6/29/2014
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
To Live and Shake and Die in La! continues at Trailers from Hell, with screenwriter Josh Olson introducing "Earthquake."A-listers Mark Robson, Jennings Lang and Mario Puzo (!) steal a leaf (and more) from the Irwin Allen playbook with this turgid smash hit about a devastating La temblor which painstakingly copies stunt shots from The Poseidon Adventure. If not for the sternum-rattling sound effects of Sensurround, an alarming audio process that duplicates the trembling sensation of theater walls coming down around your ears, this prototypical ’70s disaster epic would be remembered only as an archaic soap opera that would have seemed risible in 1954, let alone ’74. Clifford Stine and Albert Whitlock were among the team of visual effects masters who helped level Los Angeles in such convincing fashion.
- 1/22/2014
- by Trailers From Hell
- Thompson on Hollywood
It has a good cast, some smart writing and a fine fight sequence, but this second world war saga is too unbalanced to pass muster
Tobruk (1967)
Director: Arthur Hiller
Entertainment grade: C+
History grade: C–
Tobruk is a port on the east of Libya's Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It was a hard-fought prize during the second world war, occupied at different times by Allied and Axis forces.
People
It's September 1942. A Canadian soldier named Major Craig (Rock Hudson) has been taken prisoner by the Italians, and is being shipped to occupied France. At Algiers, he is kidnapped and loaded onto a German plane. Believing he has been taken by the Nazis, Craig stolidly refuses an offer of inflight hot chocolate from the suave Captain Bergman (George Peppard, who – if you grew up in the 80s – is impossible not to see as Hannibal from the A-Team). In fact,...
Tobruk (1967)
Director: Arthur Hiller
Entertainment grade: C+
History grade: C–
Tobruk is a port on the east of Libya's Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It was a hard-fought prize during the second world war, occupied at different times by Allied and Axis forces.
People
It's September 1942. A Canadian soldier named Major Craig (Rock Hudson) has been taken prisoner by the Italians, and is being shipped to occupied France. At Algiers, he is kidnapped and loaded onto a German plane. Believing he has been taken by the Nazis, Craig stolidly refuses an offer of inflight hot chocolate from the suave Captain Bergman (George Peppard, who – if you grew up in the 80s – is impossible not to see as Hannibal from the A-Team). In fact,...
- 3/21/2013
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
The art of the glass shot or matte painting is one which originated very much in the early ‘teens’ of the silent era. Pioneer film maker, director, cameraman and visual effects inventor Norman Dawn is generally acknowledged as the father of the painted matte composite, with other visionary film makers such as Ferdinand Pinney Earle, Walter Hall and Walter Percy Day being heralded as making vast contributions to the trick process in the early 1920’s.
Boiled down, the matte process is one whereby a limited film set may be extended to whatever, or wherever the director’s imagination dictates with the employment of a matte artist. In it’s most pure form, the artist would set up a large plate of clear glass in front of the motion picture camera upon which he would carefully paint in new scenery an ornate period ceiling, snow capped mountains, a Gothic castle or even an alien world.
Boiled down, the matte process is one whereby a limited film set may be extended to whatever, or wherever the director’s imagination dictates with the employment of a matte artist. In it’s most pure form, the artist would set up a large plate of clear glass in front of the motion picture camera upon which he would carefully paint in new scenery an ornate period ceiling, snow capped mountains, a Gothic castle or even an alien world.
- 5/27/2012
- Shadowlocked
Universal’s latest Anniversary vault share is another from Hitchcock’s The Birds, this time showcasing the matte from the dock at the end of the film. Below is the studio’s description of the shared images…
Albert Whitlock’s matte painting for the end of The Birds was combined with optically composited birds and live action shots of the pier. In contrast to most of the film’s dark skies, the blue skies painted here offer a sign of hope. Matte paintings were used before the arrival of today’s digital tools to create backgrounds for live action and special effects where none existed or where a director wanted to alter the landscape.
Previous Universal vault share coverage can be found Here.
Albert Whitlock’s matte painting for the end of The Birds was combined with optically composited birds and live action shots of the pier. In contrast to most of the film’s dark skies, the blue skies painted here offer a sign of hope. Matte paintings were used before the arrival of today’s digital tools to create backgrounds for live action and special effects where none existed or where a director wanted to alter the landscape.
Previous Universal vault share coverage can be found Here.
- 2/16/2012
- by Justin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
The visual effects work of Universal matte department head Albert Whitlock has been seen in over 130 films, including the 1975 disaster outing Earthquake, directed by Mark Robson. The film, starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, and Richard Roundtree, told the story of various Los Angeles citizens dealing with the titular natural disaster shaking their city to ruins.
Key to the film’s depth and awe inspiring scope was the art of Whitlock and his team, bringing Los Angeles it’s knees with shocking realism. Continuing their purging of the vaults in celebration of their 100th Anniversary this year, Universal has just shared the matte painting below, one of 70 created for the film, and seen here for the first time publicly.
Click on the thumbnail for the full version. Image courtesy Universal.
Key to the film’s depth and awe inspiring scope was the art of Whitlock and his team, bringing Los Angeles it’s knees with shocking realism. Continuing their purging of the vaults in celebration of their 100th Anniversary this year, Universal has just shared the matte painting below, one of 70 created for the film, and seen here for the first time publicly.
Click on the thumbnail for the full version. Image courtesy Universal.
- 2/10/2012
- by Justin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
As part of their 100th Anniversary celebration this year, Universal has been sharing rare items from their vaults, starting with the vaults themselves, then with a look at some prop eggs from Jurassic Park. Now the industry giant has unveiled the coolest item yet: an original matte painting for The Birds from master artist Albert Whitlock.
Alfred Hitchcock worked closely with Whitlock to bring the fictional town of Bodega Bay to life, and here is the fruit of that collaboration. Click on the thumbnail to expand and enjoy!
Alfred Hitchcock worked closely with Whitlock to bring the fictional town of Bodega Bay to life, and here is the fruit of that collaboration. Click on the thumbnail to expand and enjoy!
- 2/2/2012
- by Justin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
[1] What is Page 2? Page 2 is a compilation of stories and news tidbits, which for whatever reason, didn’t make the front page of /Film. After the jump we’ve included 46 different items, fun images, videos, casting tidbits, articles of interest and more. It’s like a mystery grab bag of movie web related goodness. If you have any interesting items that we might've missed that you think should go in /Film's Page 2 - email us [2]! Mini SuperGirl vs. Storm Trooper [3]. Quantum Mechanix Inc. (QMx) have announced [4] that they will "develop and market a full line of collectibles based on the hit movie, Super 8." [5] Yehudi Mercado created [6] a poster for The Case, the Super 8 zombie movie written and directed by Charles Kaznyk within the Jj Abrams' movie Super 8. KoldCastTV [7] lists 12 Most Influential UFO-Inspired Movies and TV Shows. Science Nation takes a look at the Physics of Animation at DreamWorks Animation.
- 6/13/2011
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
HollywoodNews.com: Emmy Award® winner Bill Taylor, Asc and Emmy Award® winner Syd Dutton have been selected to receive the Art Directors Guild’s coveted honorary Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award, it was announced today by Thomas A. Walsh, Adg President, and Awards co-producers Dawn Snyder and Tom Wilkins. Taylor and Dutton are co-founders of Illusion Arts, where they earned credits on nearly 200 films. As Illusion Arts wound up its 26 year run, the company completed dozens of shots for Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009) for supervisor Robert Stadd and some key environments for G.I. Joe. One of their first major assignments was to create special effects for the new version of the television series The Twilight Zone.
Both Taylor and Dutton were visual effects artists on numerous notable films together, including U-571 (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Bruce Almighty (2003), and Casanova (2005). More recently Taylor and Dutton co-supervised Milk...
Both Taylor and Dutton were visual effects artists on numerous notable films together, including U-571 (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Bruce Almighty (2003), and Casanova (2005). More recently Taylor and Dutton co-supervised Milk...
- 1/25/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Another great documentary has gone online from visual effects supervisor Dennis Lowe (Alien, Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer). Lowe has become a prolific and valuable documentarian of visual effects history, starting out with his Alien documentaries a couple of years back, and recently looking into the life and work of matte painter Leigh Took (Clash of the Titans, Batman, Neverending Story II, The Da Vinci Code).
Now Lowe has turned his attention to one of the founding fathers of visual effects photography, the fine-artist-turned-matte-painter Percy Day O.B.E.
Day stumbled across the technique of 'original negative matte painting' when working as a matte artist in France for the production of Au Bonheur Des Dames (1931). Up until this point, matte painting was a very public spectacle, with the artist working live on location to add dimensions to a set by depicting scenes on glass, which would...
Now Lowe has turned his attention to one of the founding fathers of visual effects photography, the fine-artist-turned-matte-painter Percy Day O.B.E.
Day stumbled across the technique of 'original negative matte painting' when working as a matte artist in France for the production of Au Bonheur Des Dames (1931). Up until this point, matte painting was a very public spectacle, with the artist working live on location to add dimensions to a set by depicting scenes on glass, which would...
- 12/13/2010
- Shadowlocked
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