Friday 27 May 2016

Green Room BTS




More Green Room, this time some juicy behind the scenes stuff.

This is a great collection of candid shots taken on the set by production assistant Bryan Tosh. You get a closeup look at some of the film's meticulous set dressing, sound capture and filming during the gig sequence, a feel for day-to-day life on set... and a baby lemur brought in by the dog handlers (the look on Macon Blair's face is priceless).


































Tuesday 24 May 2016

Morphology? Longevity? Incept dates?




Just like a certain combat model Nexus-6 with a penchant for poetry and violence, Blade Runner 2 has got us all asking a lot of questions. However one thing's for sure, with cameras set to roll in about six weeks, and a release date of October next year, the Blade Runner sequel will soon be on everyone's lips. Understandably, people are reacting very dismissively and cynically to this project, but I'm allowing myself some cautious optimism.

Hear me out. Denis Villeneuve, whose Enemy and Sicario are both certifiable masterpieces, is the perfect choice for director. He's an intellectual, an artist, and a mind-blowing visual stylist. He brings with him his usual cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose work on Sicario is nothing short of stunning. Perhaps more importantly, Hampton Fancher is back as co-writer. It seems to be casting up nicely. So far, so good.

Decades late followups to beloved sci-fi movies are always a major gamble. Let's hope this one is more Mad Max: Fury Road and way less The Thing '11.

Here's a nice gallery of Blade Runner inspired art to get you in the mood.


Chris Shy:











Daniel Murray:















Carlos Bela:



Julia Heglund:



Dan Mumford:



Augie Pagan:



Tim Doyle:



Mark Raats:



Matt Ferguson:



Gilles Vranckx:





Patric Reynolds:





Luke Harrington:



Artists Unknown:









Saturday 21 May 2016

GREEN ROOM gore FX + more art!




Having now finally seen it, I can join the army of fans who are noisily vouching for Green Room's unassailable radness. Believe the hype, Jeremy Saulnier has crafted an exceptional horror movie that's as uniquely original as it is uncompromisingly brutal. By turns tense, upsetting, terrifying, quiet, thought-provoking and sad, the film works because it's grounded in a realism that only someone who has spent time in the punk scene could pull off.

However make no mistake, for all its realism Green Room is a fantasy, an alternate universe version of the hardcore scene, but it's a highly believable fantasy made by a punk for other punks to dive into and relish. Crucial to the achievement of that veracity is Saulnier's understated and subtle screenplay, and every performance in the film follows suit. Production design is spot on, everything from the Ain't Rights' van to the interior of the skinhead club has a dingy, lived in feel that doesn't feel faked. And much to my personal amusement, there's a kind of naive old-school quality to Saulnier's worldbuilding, with many of the references belonging to my generation - Dead Kennedys, Cro-Mags, Minor Threat, Fear, The Damned etc. 

I'm going out to see it for a second time today. If you haven't already, get out there and experience this relentless, intelligent and artful horror masterpiece on the big screen for yourself.

There's your review. Now for the goodies.

An absolutely killer alternate poster by Jason Cryer



A nice illustration by comic artist Cameron Stewart



Another cool tribute, this one from Neal Anderson



Poster for a screening in Brixton, London



That was the entree, now for the MEAT. This is major SPOILER territory. If you haven't seen the film yet, stop and come back when you have!

Green Room features some of the gnarliest, most realistic practical gore effects I've ever seen. The grue (and one vicious looking pitbull puppet) was supplied by a studio called Prosthetic Renaissance Inc, headed up by one Mike Marino, and his history of working with the likes of Rob Bottin and Rick Baker is clearly evident in the nauseating details of his work. The following gallery is made up of makeup tests and final effects seen in the movie. Enjoy!