It's easy to take for granted the strangeness of the creatures from Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film "Alien." Because that film was such a hit, and because it has spawned many sequels, comics, video games, and Halloween costumes in the last 45 years, the Xenomorphs no longer seem weird or even all that creepy. One must cast one's mind back to 1979 to recall that, yes, the aliens were horrifyingly off-putting, bizarre, and terrifying; the title is both a noun and an adjective. By the time the PG-13-rated "Alien vs. Predator" came out in 2004, audiences knew that Xenomorphs forcibly incubated their young inside people's bodies. In 1979, that notion was novel.
To remind audiences: a Xenomorph begins its life inside a three-foot leathery egg. When the egg hatches, a spider-crab monster leaps out and attaches itself to a victim's mouth. Over the course of a few days, it inserts an ovipositor...
To remind audiences: a Xenomorph begins its life inside a three-foot leathery egg. When the egg hatches, a spider-crab monster leaps out and attaches itself to a victim's mouth. Over the course of a few days, it inserts an ovipositor...
- 4/6/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Science-fiction movie food is almost always weird. Whether it's the "bowl of snot" they eat in the real world in "The Matrix" or the bug bars in "Snowpiercer," sci-fi food is generally kind of unpleasant to look at and think about.
There's one fun exception, however, and that's the blue milk from "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." The milk was allegedly absolutely foul to drink, according to Mark Hamill, who played intergalactic milk-chuggin' Luke Skywalker, but it looks cool. It's sufficiently strange to be sci-fi, but it's recognizable as milk. That took a lot of work to pull off, as set designer Roger Christian shared in a retrospective for StarWars.com. Not only did they have to figure out how to ensure the actors didn't get sick drinking warm milk on the hot North African sets, but it was apparently quite difficult to get the milk to...
There's one fun exception, however, and that's the blue milk from "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." The milk was allegedly absolutely foul to drink, according to Mark Hamill, who played intergalactic milk-chuggin' Luke Skywalker, but it looks cool. It's sufficiently strange to be sci-fi, but it's recognizable as milk. That took a lot of work to pull off, as set designer Roger Christian shared in a retrospective for StarWars.com. Not only did they have to figure out how to ensure the actors didn't get sick drinking warm milk on the hot North African sets, but it was apparently quite difficult to get the milk to...
- 12/23/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
George Lucas' "Star Wars" was a whole-cloth piece of world building. Inspired by gee-whiz sci-fi serials like "Flash Gordon," Lucas envisioned a sprawling saga that would stretch over multiple chapters. There was just one problem: the technology required to bring his vision to fruition didn't exist.
If you're any kind of "Star Wars" fan, you know about John Dykstra's revolutionary motion-control camera (the Dykstraflex), a pioneering piece of equipment that allowed Lucas to pull off the climactic trench run. You're also most certainly aware of how Rick Baker and Stuart Freeborn conjured up their groundbreaking creature effects. But do you know the story of how the lightsaber, the Jedi weapon of choice, was discovered?
While Lucas' idea for the lightsaber was brought to vivid life by the brilliant conceptual designer Ralph McQuarrie, someone had to either build or find the saber That someone was art director Roger Christian. And...
If you're any kind of "Star Wars" fan, you know about John Dykstra's revolutionary motion-control camera (the Dykstraflex), a pioneering piece of equipment that allowed Lucas to pull off the climactic trench run. You're also most certainly aware of how Rick Baker and Stuart Freeborn conjured up their groundbreaking creature effects. But do you know the story of how the lightsaber, the Jedi weapon of choice, was discovered?
While Lucas' idea for the lightsaber was brought to vivid life by the brilliant conceptual designer Ralph McQuarrie, someone had to either build or find the saber That someone was art director Roger Christian. And...
- 10/21/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
She's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. She can outrun Imperial starships. She's fast. She is the Millennium Falcon, and while she may not look like much, she's got it where it counts. As for why she looks like, per Luke Skywalker, "a piece of junk," that's a surprisingly convoluted story born out of Joe Johnston's literal kitchen sink.
It's also a reminder of why George Lucas' "Star Wars" became a zeitgeist-capturing blockbuster the likes of which hadn't been seen since "Gone with the Wind." Lucas combined his love of Westerns, Akira Kurosawa's samurai films, and hot rods to make a sci-fi fantasy with a lived-in aesthetic. He wasn't trying to blow audiences away with sleek, futuristic design work. He wanted his space opera to feel like a world ravaged by conflict. This meant his spacecraft had to look beaten to crap.
So...
It's also a reminder of why George Lucas' "Star Wars" became a zeitgeist-capturing blockbuster the likes of which hadn't been seen since "Gone with the Wind." Lucas combined his love of Westerns, Akira Kurosawa's samurai films, and hot rods to make a sci-fi fantasy with a lived-in aesthetic. He wasn't trying to blow audiences away with sleek, futuristic design work. He wanted his space opera to feel like a world ravaged by conflict. This meant his spacecraft had to look beaten to crap.
So...
- 7/29/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
“Star Wars” is one of the biggest franchises of all time and has welcomed multiple generations to a galaxy far, far away for 45 years. George Lucas’ groundbreaking vision, which began all the way back in 1977 with “A New Hope,” changed the movie industry forever and, with that, made a mark on the Academy Awards that year with a Best Picture nomination. However, the relationship between “Star Wars” and the Oscars hasn’t always been as lovable as Han Solo and Chewie. In fact, there’s often been a touch of Vader-Luke in the conflicted dynamic between the two institutions. Here’s a breakdown of the history of every “Star Wars” movie at the Academy Awards, ranked in terms of Oscars success.
“A New Hope” (1977)
Dir: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...
“A New Hope” (1977)
Dir: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Though "The Empire Strikes Back" is often regarded now as the best "Star Wars" film, the surprising runner-up in our poll two years ago was "Return of the Jedi," which is celebrating its 40th anniversary today. That "Jedi" should make such a strong showing was surprising if only because the film tends to take a slight critical drubbing in comparison to "Empire" and the first "Star Wars" movie, now known as "A New Hope."
With "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back," directors George Lucas and Irvin Kershner each carved out a distinct tone and vision for what the original "Star Wars" trilogy could be. Still, the contemporary love for "Empire" doesn't necessarily align with the immediate reaction audiences had to it back in the day. Last year, the Vice TV docuseries "Icons Unearthed: Star Wars" spliced in footage of one '80s fan exiting the theater, saying, "It could've been a better ending,...
With "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back," directors George Lucas and Irvin Kershner each carved out a distinct tone and vision for what the original "Star Wars" trilogy could be. Still, the contemporary love for "Empire" doesn't necessarily align with the immediate reaction audiences had to it back in the day. Last year, the Vice TV docuseries "Icons Unearthed: Star Wars" spliced in footage of one '80s fan exiting the theater, saying, "It could've been a better ending,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Norman Reynolds, who won Oscars in art direction for Star Wars Episode VI: A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark has died, Lucasfilm confirmed. He was 89.
The U.K. native made important creative contributions to all three movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, as an art director on A New Hope and production designer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. According to a biography shared by Lucasfilm, Reynolds worked closely with John Barry, A New Hope‘s overall production designer, to help establish the core design philosophy behind Star Wars architecture and construction. They joined art director Leslie Dilley and set decorator Roger Christian as winners of the Academy Award for art direction in 1978. For The Empire Strikes Back, Reynolds was named production designer as Barry pursued directing.
For Raiders, Reynolds’ first collaboration with Spielberg, he sculpted the iconic golden idol that Indy...
The U.K. native made important creative contributions to all three movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, as an art director on A New Hope and production designer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. According to a biography shared by Lucasfilm, Reynolds worked closely with John Barry, A New Hope‘s overall production designer, to help establish the core design philosophy behind Star Wars architecture and construction. They joined art director Leslie Dilley and set decorator Roger Christian as winners of the Academy Award for art direction in 1978. For The Empire Strikes Back, Reynolds was named production designer as Barry pursued directing.
For Raiders, Reynolds’ first collaboration with Spielberg, he sculpted the iconic golden idol that Indy...
- 4/6/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Norman Reynolds, the two-time Oscar winning production and art designer on various Star Wars and Indiana Jones films who director Steven Spielberg once called the “creative core” of the franchises, has died. He was 89.
LucasFilm Ltd has confirmed his death, first reported by the BBC, which said that Reynolds “died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Spielberg, who first collaborated with Reynolds on 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, said on a statement, “Norman was always smiling with enthusiasm, and there was nothing he couldn’t make work. Joyful and friendly and a massive talent.”
Among Reynolds’ many contributions to the franchises was his sculpting of the iconic golden idol that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones attempts to steal during the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Reynolds based the idol on an Incan fertility sculpture he’d collected during overseas travels.
“The...
LucasFilm Ltd has confirmed his death, first reported by the BBC, which said that Reynolds “died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Spielberg, who first collaborated with Reynolds on 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, said on a statement, “Norman was always smiling with enthusiasm, and there was nothing he couldn’t make work. Joyful and friendly and a massive talent.”
Among Reynolds’ many contributions to the franchises was his sculpting of the iconic golden idol that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones attempts to steal during the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Reynolds based the idol on an Incan fertility sculpture he’d collected during overseas travels.
“The...
- 4/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaking is a collaborative process. Having an original idea is a phenomenal start, but directors need the financial backing of a studio to bring it to life. If that's not all, to get the best results, filmmakers must also choose talent with strong on-screen chemistry or, at the very least, ensure they get along.
The unpredictable nature of life causes things to go awry sometimes. Filmmaking is a business, and one major blunder can be a career-ender. A project can run out of money halfway through shooting because of poor budgeting. Maybe a flick's stars completely misunderstood their roles. Worse yet, audiences may not comprehend a director's vision upon a movie's release.
"A director must be a policeman, a midwife, a psychoanalyst, a sycophant, and a bastard," director Billy Wilder once wisely declared. Perhaps "clairvoyant" should be added to that list, as there's no chance that some of the following fiascos could have been predicted.
The unpredictable nature of life causes things to go awry sometimes. Filmmaking is a business, and one major blunder can be a career-ender. A project can run out of money halfway through shooting because of poor budgeting. Maybe a flick's stars completely misunderstood their roles. Worse yet, audiences may not comprehend a director's vision upon a movie's release.
"A director must be a policeman, a midwife, a psychoanalyst, a sycophant, and a bastard," director Billy Wilder once wisely declared. Perhaps "clairvoyant" should be added to that list, as there's no chance that some of the following fiascos could have been predicted.
- 2/26/2023
- by Marta Djordjevic
- Slash Film
The Star Wars movies have earned a dedicated legion of superfans, including some willing to shell out millions for a piece of the film. A prop used by Harrison Ford’s Han Solo recently broke a Guinness World Record for the most expensive sold at auction. Here are the details of how this Star Wars collectible was taken apart and put back together again for a hefty price.
How Han Solo’s ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ blaster prop gun was created Harrison Ford, as Hans Solo, with his prop gun on the set of Star Wars: A New Hope | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images Related
‘Star Wars’: Harrison Ford Only Made 10,000 for Starring in ‘A New Hope’
The gun, a BlasTech Dl-44 Heavy Blaster, was created especially for Ford’s character, the pilot and rebel Han Solo. It’s one of just three “hero props,” meaning it...
How Han Solo’s ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ blaster prop gun was created Harrison Ford, as Hans Solo, with his prop gun on the set of Star Wars: A New Hope | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images Related
‘Star Wars’: Harrison Ford Only Made 10,000 for Starring in ‘A New Hope’
The gun, a BlasTech Dl-44 Heavy Blaster, was created especially for Ford’s character, the pilot and rebel Han Solo. It’s one of just three “hero props,” meaning it...
- 2/19/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Science fiction is home to a number of uniquely designed spaceships for exploring the cosmos. "Star Trek" has the USS Enterprise, "Doctor Who" has the Tardis, and then there's the matter of "Star Wars." With the institution that the series has become, you can take your pick from a number of star cruisers, but it's hard to forget the first time you set your eyes on the Millennium Falcon. The first thing that stands out about the clunky vessel is that it's kind of grimy, which was intentional on the part of the folks who built it.
"Star Wars" grandmaster George Lucas had met the Falcon's eventual set decorator Roger Christian on the set of a critically panned 1975 prohibition adventure called "Lucky Lady," which starred Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, and Burt Reynolds. According to an interview with StarWars.com, as Christian helped build transform buildings in Mexico to fit the look of the '20s,...
"Star Wars" grandmaster George Lucas had met the Falcon's eventual set decorator Roger Christian on the set of a critically panned 1975 prohibition adventure called "Lucky Lady," which starred Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, and Burt Reynolds. According to an interview with StarWars.com, as Christian helped build transform buildings in Mexico to fit the look of the '20s,...
- 12/9/2022
- by Matthew Bilodeau
- Slash Film
“You have been quite a challenge, rat-brain, and you’re going to make a hell of a conversation piece when you’re stuffed and hanging on the wall at the academy!”
The 20th Anniversary Blu-ray Release Of “Battlefield Earth” From Mill Creek Entertainment To Include Over 70 Minutes Of New Bonus Features!
New Interviews with Filmmakers Accompany this Blu-ray Debut on September 15, 2020!
Mill Creek Entertainment is excited to announce the inclusion of newly produced bonus features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of Battlefield Earth. Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its theatrical launch, this high-definition debut includes over 70 minutes of interviews with the crew associated with the film. Fans can get behind-the-scenes insights, never-before-seen photographs and fascinating stories about the development of the script, visual effects, musical score and more! This special edition Blu-ray will release will be available on September 15 for $19.99 Msrp.
Based on L. Ron Hubbard’s bestselling science fiction book,...
The 20th Anniversary Blu-ray Release Of “Battlefield Earth” From Mill Creek Entertainment To Include Over 70 Minutes Of New Bonus Features!
New Interviews with Filmmakers Accompany this Blu-ray Debut on September 15, 2020!
Mill Creek Entertainment is excited to announce the inclusion of newly produced bonus features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of Battlefield Earth. Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its theatrical launch, this high-definition debut includes over 70 minutes of interviews with the crew associated with the film. Fans can get behind-the-scenes insights, never-before-seen photographs and fascinating stories about the development of the script, visual effects, musical score and more! This special edition Blu-ray will release will be available on September 15 for $19.99 Msrp.
Based on L. Ron Hubbard’s bestselling science fiction book,...
- 7/31/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Four decades after its release, it’s become etched in cinema history that Ridley Scott’s Alien was a landmark achievement in not only the science-fiction genre, but horror as well, and specifically the feat of nightmarish imagery that now exists in the deepest corridors of our collective conscious. As the compelling new documentary Memory: The Origins of Alien explores, the space odyssey “didn’t come out a vacuum.” Rather, it was an immensely collaborative effort that drew on paintings, novels, films, mythology, current events, and centuries-old sociological and ideological issues to conjure such a masterpiece.
Coming from Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene), the new documentary features interviews with Veronica Cartwright, Roger Christian, Tom Skerritt, Ronald Shusett, Roger Corman, and more as the history of the making of the film is explored in fascinating ways. Ahead of an October release this October, the first trailer has now arrived.
Coming from Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene), the new documentary features interviews with Veronica Cartwright, Roger Christian, Tom Skerritt, Ronald Shusett, Roger Corman, and more as the history of the making of the film is explored in fascinating ways. Ahead of an October release this October, the first trailer has now arrived.
- 8/28/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
By Tim Greaves
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
One of the most surprising things about director Roger Christian’s 1982 chiller The Sender, which screams America from almost every fibre, is that it’s British made. With a cast and crew of varied nationality and narratively set in America – location work took place in Georgia – all the studio work for the Paramount Pictures production was actually shot on stages at Shepperton in the UK.
British born Christian himself was a former Academy Award winning art director on the first Star Wars (and a nominee in the same category for Alien). On the other end of the ‘accomplishments to be proud of’ scale, however, he’s the man responsible for the woeful Battlefield Earth, so it’s fair to say his cinematic career was mixed. The Sender, his debut in the director’s chair, resides on the upper end of that scale.
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
One of the most surprising things about director Roger Christian’s 1982 chiller The Sender, which screams America from almost every fibre, is that it’s British made. With a cast and crew of varied nationality and narratively set in America – location work took place in Georgia – all the studio work for the Paramount Pictures production was actually shot on stages at Shepperton in the UK.
British born Christian himself was a former Academy Award winning art director on the first Star Wars (and a nominee in the same category for Alien). On the other end of the ‘accomplishments to be proud of’ scale, however, he’s the man responsible for the woeful Battlefield Earth, so it’s fair to say his cinematic career was mixed. The Sender, his debut in the director’s chair, resides on the upper end of that scale.
- 7/16/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Will the highest grossing film of the year “Black Panther” score a Best Picture nomination? It’s a fair question as no Marvel film has ever even been in the conversation. And the question has produced so much turmoil the academy temporarily thought of adding a Best Popular Film category. We should look towards another popular origin story that was not your typical Oscar fare — 1977’s “Star Wars: IV A New Hope” — as our guide towards “Black Panther’s” potential Oscar nomination haul.
George Lucas’s original “Star Wars” spawned a franchise that includes seven prequels and sequels and two spinoffs to date. Luke Skywalker’s origin story maybe outside the Oscars comfort zone but that didn’t stop the film from picking up 10 nominations including Best Picture; Best Director (Lucas); Best Original Screenplay (Lucas); and Best Supporting Actor (Alec Guinness).
It won six below-the line races: Best Film Editing...
George Lucas’s original “Star Wars” spawned a franchise that includes seven prequels and sequels and two spinoffs to date. Luke Skywalker’s origin story maybe outside the Oscars comfort zone but that didn’t stop the film from picking up 10 nominations including Best Picture; Best Director (Lucas); Best Original Screenplay (Lucas); and Best Supporting Actor (Alec Guinness).
It won six below-the line races: Best Film Editing...
- 1/19/2019
- by Amanda Spears
- Gold Derby
At his Toronto-area home, Academy Award designer and filmmaker Roger Christian prepares a package to send to a young boy he has never met in Portland, Maine. Christian was one of the first men hired by George Lucas to work on the original “Star Wars” film in 1977. You may not know him by name, […]...
- 11/11/2017
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Since Alien: Covenant drops on Friday—and since it’s really good—it’s time to prepare yourself by revisiting the best elements of the franchise from whence it burst. Yesterday, we made ourselves queasy looking back on its many death scenes, so today we’re wiping the blood from our eyes to take a closer look at one of the original film’s unsung bits of brilliance.
On YouTube, The Film Theorists just published a video essay that offers a deep exploration of the nuances of Alien’s set design, both on the Nostromo and on the derelict alien ship where they first encounter the Xenomorphs. Vastly different in aesthetic, structure, and size, the ships each serve to heighten the horror aspects of the film, elevating it beyond pure sci-fi.
What’s especially interesting is the materials art director Roger Christian drew upon to help create the Nostromo. Instead...
On YouTube, The Film Theorists just published a video essay that offers a deep exploration of the nuances of Alien’s set design, both on the Nostromo and on the derelict alien ship where they first encounter the Xenomorphs. Vastly different in aesthetic, structure, and size, the ships each serve to heighten the horror aspects of the film, elevating it beyond pure sci-fi.
What’s especially interesting is the materials art director Roger Christian drew upon to help create the Nostromo. Instead...
- 5/17/2017
- by Randall Colburn
- avclub.com
With the Holiday Season here and shopping at its high point it becomes a very stressful time for all of us. Here at Lrm we have the opportunity to get to review a lot of great products that end up being great gifts during this time of year. If you are looking for a present for someone who is into film making and behind the scenes artwork Titan Books has a great selection to choose from. Check out the books below and pick up one or all of them from the links below.
Aliens: The Set Photography
A new hardback photography book documenting the making of Aliens, the 1986 smash hit movie directed by James Cameron. Aliens: The Set Photography reveals a unique new perspective on the making of James Cameron’s film as the focus shifts behind the cameras to capture the director, cast and crew as they...
Aliens: The Set Photography
A new hardback photography book documenting the making of Aliens, the 1986 smash hit movie directed by James Cameron. Aliens: The Set Photography reveals a unique new perspective on the making of James Cameron’s film as the focus shifts behind the cameras to capture the director, cast and crew as they...
- 11/24/2016
- by Michael Connally
- LRMonline.com
Kfm: Russian investor boards ‘Black Angel’ remake, ‘made in Russia’ blockbusters, Kfm pitching winners, Latido picks up Ukrainian debut
Russian investment is set to be tapped for Roger Christian’s feature version of his 1980 cult short Black Angel.
Speaking during the first edition of the KinoPoisk Film Market (Kfm) in Moscow, the film’s producer Harald Reichebner said that 70% of the budget is in place as a co-production between the UK, Belgium and Hungary, with the final 30% now to come from an undisclosed private Russian investor.
The $9.7m production features an international cast including Dougray Scott, John Rhys-Davies, Rutger Hauer (who starred as The Mystic Monk in Christian’s 1994 biopic Nostradamus), Turkish-German actress-model Meryem Uzerli, star of the Turkish TV series Muhtesem Yüzyil, and Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov, known to international audiences from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Behind Enemy Lines.
Berlin-based, Austrian-born Reichebner – who had previously worked with Christian as the producer on Nostradamus - told...
Russian investment is set to be tapped for Roger Christian’s feature version of his 1980 cult short Black Angel.
Speaking during the first edition of the KinoPoisk Film Market (Kfm) in Moscow, the film’s producer Harald Reichebner said that 70% of the budget is in place as a co-production between the UK, Belgium and Hungary, with the final 30% now to come from an undisclosed private Russian investor.
The $9.7m production features an international cast including Dougray Scott, John Rhys-Davies, Rutger Hauer (who starred as The Mystic Monk in Christian’s 1994 biopic Nostradamus), Turkish-German actress-model Meryem Uzerli, star of the Turkish TV series Muhtesem Yüzyil, and Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov, known to international audiences from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Behind Enemy Lines.
Berlin-based, Austrian-born Reichebner – who had previously worked with Christian as the producer on Nostradamus - told...
- 10/26/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Ryan Lambie Jul 26, 2016
They cost millions and they’re very, very odd. We take a look at 12 expensive and eccentric Hollywood films from the past 40 years...
The risk-averse nature of filmmaking means that the world’s more maverick and outrageous writers and directors have to make do with relatively low budgets. Nicolas Winding Refn drenched the screen in all kinds of sordid, violent and startling imagery in such films as Only God Forgives and this year’s The Neon Demon, but the combined budget of those probably didn’t even match the catering budget for something like Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
Every so often, though, a truly bonkers film slips through the Hollywood studio system - often by accident. From horror sequels to original sci-fi adventures, here are 12 incredibly expensive and gloriously eccentric Hollywood movies from the past 40 years.
The Exorcist II (1977)
Budget: $14 million
Like most films made for purely financial reasons,...
They cost millions and they’re very, very odd. We take a look at 12 expensive and eccentric Hollywood films from the past 40 years...
The risk-averse nature of filmmaking means that the world’s more maverick and outrageous writers and directors have to make do with relatively low budgets. Nicolas Winding Refn drenched the screen in all kinds of sordid, violent and startling imagery in such films as Only God Forgives and this year’s The Neon Demon, but the combined budget of those probably didn’t even match the catering budget for something like Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
Every so often, though, a truly bonkers film slips through the Hollywood studio system - often by accident. From horror sequels to original sci-fi adventures, here are 12 incredibly expensive and gloriously eccentric Hollywood movies from the past 40 years.
The Exorcist II (1977)
Budget: $14 million
Like most films made for purely financial reasons,...
- 7/25/2016
- Den of Geek
Shock talks to visionary movie mythmaker Roger Christian. Roger Christian is cinema royalty. Here is a man who has done and seen it all and has marked his artistic imprint on dozens of important Hollywood films. Christian has run the gamut of positions from production designer to assistant director, right up to taking the director’s…
The post Interview: Roger Christian Talks Alien, Star Wars, The Sender and being a ‘Cinema Alchemist’ appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Interview: Roger Christian Talks Alien, Star Wars, The Sender and being a ‘Cinema Alchemist’ appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 5/12/2016
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Olive Films Announce August Bluray Titles
Independent U.S. distributors Olive Films have announced that they will add a number of new titles to their catalog in August. Amongst them are: Keith Gordon’s The Singing Detective, Mickey Rose’s Student Bodies, Guy Ferland’s The Babysitter, and Roger Christian’s The Sender. The Singing Detective The Singing Detective boasts a line-up of top rank talent ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
Independent U.S. distributors Olive Films have announced that they will add a number of new titles to their catalog in August. Amongst them are: Keith Gordon’s The Singing Detective, Mickey Rose’s Student Bodies, Guy Ferland’s The Babysitter, and Roger Christian’s The Sender. The Singing Detective The Singing Detective boasts a line-up of top rank talent ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
- 6/29/2015
- by Horrornews.net
- Horror News
Made entirely with CG, Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn will premiere at Walker Stalker Fan Fest in July. Also in this round-up: release details for Wave 7 of Funko's Comic-Con 2015 exclusive figures and The Sender and Student Bodies Blu-rays.
Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn: "Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn is a new fully CG take on the 1968 classic, “Night of the Living Dead.” This is the story of a group of survivors fighting to stay alive when a mysterious plague unleashes the undead on New York City. Barricaded in an abandoned apartment building, the characters from the original film face new terror and question each other’s compassion and sense of humanity as they fight to stay alive against the army of the walking dead...It was directed by Krisztian Majdik, Zebediah Y. Desoto, and written by David Schwartz, Zebediah Y. De Soto, Jib Polhemus,...
Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn: "Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn is a new fully CG take on the 1968 classic, “Night of the Living Dead.” This is the story of a group of survivors fighting to stay alive when a mysterious plague unleashes the undead on New York City. Barricaded in an abandoned apartment building, the characters from the original film face new terror and question each other’s compassion and sense of humanity as they fight to stay alive against the army of the walking dead...It was directed by Krisztian Majdik, Zebediah Y. Desoto, and written by David Schwartz, Zebediah Y. De Soto, Jib Polhemus,...
- 6/23/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
The Important News James Wan is officially directing Aquaman. Han Solo may also feature in the Boba Fett Star Wars movie. More young actors are up for the role of Spider-Man. And more directors are up for the Spider-Man gig, too. The Rock will star in a remake of Big Trouble in Little China. He also had his best opening ever with San Andreas. Sister Act is also being remade. Part of Fantasia is also being remade, as a live-action feature. Tron 3 is not happening. Jason Statham may star in a Layer Cake sequel. And he may play Bullseye in the Daredevil series. Roger Christian's Black Angel short is being turned into a feature. Clint Eastwood will direct a movie about Captain...
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- 6/6/2015
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Another Star Wars spin-off? Not so fast.
While Disney plans to push the sci-fi franchise down our throats for the rest of our lives, it seems like an Indiegogo campaign will bring back a short that was attached to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in the 1980s. Titled Black Angel, the project is looking to get funded and is referred to as Game of Thrones meets Valhalla Rising.
While not related to Star Wars in any way, the project was a short film that played before Empire Strikes Back when it came to Europe and Australia in 1980.
It is still looking to get funded, with the campaign starting today, but it already has two big name cast members. Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones star John Rhys-Davies and Blade Runner star Rutger Hauer are set to play King Aeolus and High Priest Sirdar.
According to Variety, the film...
While Disney plans to push the sci-fi franchise down our throats for the rest of our lives, it seems like an Indiegogo campaign will bring back a short that was attached to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in the 1980s. Titled Black Angel, the project is looking to get funded and is referred to as Game of Thrones meets Valhalla Rising.
While not related to Star Wars in any way, the project was a short film that played before Empire Strikes Back when it came to Europe and Australia in 1980.
It is still looking to get funded, with the campaign starting today, but it already has two big name cast members. Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones star John Rhys-Davies and Blade Runner star Rutger Hauer are set to play King Aeolus and High Priest Sirdar.
According to Variety, the film...
- 6/2/2015
- by Zach Dennis
- SoundOnSight
Update 6/2/15: Black Angel director Roger Christian has revealed he's making a feature length version of the movie. They are raising some funds on IndieGoGo, but apparently it's just the last little bit of funding needed and the movie is otherwise ready to go. So if you are interested in seeing the feature gets made, head here for more information. When Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back hit theaters in 1980 a very special short film played in front of it in select theaters around the world. This wasn't just a fleeting five minute cartoon or anything like that, either. Black Angel was a robust, lushly photographed 25-minute film commissioned by George Lucas himself with the express purpose of showing audiences something they normally wouldn't...
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- 6/2/2015
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Hardcore "Star Wars" fans are well aware of the legend of "Black Angel," the short film that screened overseas before "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980 and disappeared for more than three decades. Just last month, many of those fans were able to see the lost film for the first time when director Roger Christian, the original "Star Wars" art director, uploaded a restored version to YouTube. Read More: 10 Commandments for Promoting Your Film Campaign on Social Media Originally commissioned by George Lucas, "Black Angel," which some consider to be a crucial part of the "Star Wars" legacy, will be made into a feature film starring John Rhys-Davies ("The Lord of the Rings") and Rutger Hauer ("Blade Runner"). Production is slated for September 2015, with filming locations to include Hungary, Belgium, Morocco and Scotland. The film will be directed and written by Christian...
- 6/2/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
A long time ago – well, 35 years – in a place not quite so far away, an art director named Roger Christian, who had won an Oscar for his work on Star Wars, was asked by that film’s director, George Lucas, to make a short film to accompany The Empire Strikes Back. The result, Black Angel had a short life in cinemas and was presumed lost until recently, but now Christian is turning it into a full-length feature with genre stalwarts Rutger Hauer and John Rhys-Davies, at the head of the cast.Despite the short lingering in limbo until it was discovered in Universal’s extensive archives in 2013, it has been something of a cult sensation, and is cited as an influence on other films including John Boorman’s Excalibur.Christian, who in the intervening years became a director on the likes of Nostradamus, Masterminds and (whisper it) Battlefield Earth, is...
- 6/2/2015
- EmpireOnline
It’s been an awful long time since Roger Christian’s fantasy short Black Angel debuted alongside Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – 35 years, in fact – but now the filmmaker is turning to crowdfunding website Indiegogo to transform his dormant dream into a reality.
Interest in the so-called “lost” feature was piqued a fortnight ago when the 25-minute short reared its head on YouTube. A time capsule in every sense of the word, the recovered Black Angel soon went viral as fans and newcomers where once again whisked away to the rolling hills of Scotland. In 1980, the medieval film was shot on a budget of £25,000; now, Christian is hoping for a $15 million allowance to spin out his passion project into a fully-fledged feature.
According to the official Indiegogo funding page, Rutger Hauer and John Rhys-Davies are set to star, and the project is currently seeking $100,000 in total, with various...
Interest in the so-called “lost” feature was piqued a fortnight ago when the 25-minute short reared its head on YouTube. A time capsule in every sense of the word, the recovered Black Angel soon went viral as fans and newcomers where once again whisked away to the rolling hills of Scotland. In 1980, the medieval film was shot on a budget of £25,000; now, Christian is hoping for a $15 million allowance to spin out his passion project into a fully-fledged feature.
According to the official Indiegogo funding page, Rutger Hauer and John Rhys-Davies are set to star, and the project is currently seeking $100,000 in total, with various...
- 6/2/2015
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Black Angel, the short film which aired in cinemas before Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, will be made into a feature-length movie.
All copies of the cult 25-minute film went missing after airing in cinemas in 1980, until a Universal Studios archivist found a negative in 2011.
Roger Christian, who wrote and directed the original 25-minute fantasy short, will return to helm the project, while John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) and Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) will star.
Christian is encouraging fans to be a part of the film by crowdfunding the project, which has a fundraising target of £66,000. Contributing will allow individuals the opportunity of perks such as an invite to the premiere, an opportunity to be part of the film or an all-expenses-paid mentorship with the audio department.
Black Angel: The Feature Film follows a knight who goes on a quest to battle the Black Angel,...
All copies of the cult 25-minute film went missing after airing in cinemas in 1980, until a Universal Studios archivist found a negative in 2011.
Roger Christian, who wrote and directed the original 25-minute fantasy short, will return to helm the project, while John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) and Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) will star.
Christian is encouraging fans to be a part of the film by crowdfunding the project, which has a fundraising target of £66,000. Contributing will allow individuals the opportunity of perks such as an invite to the premiere, an opportunity to be part of the film or an all-expenses-paid mentorship with the audio department.
Black Angel: The Feature Film follows a knight who goes on a quest to battle the Black Angel,...
- 6/2/2015
- Digital Spy
The 1980 short will be adapted into a fantasy epic starring Rutger Hauer and John Rhys-Davies and featuring mostly practical effects
"Roger Christian is Turning Black Angel Into a Feature With Your Help" was originally published on Film School Rejects for our wonderful readers to enjoy. It is not intended to be reproduced on other websites. If you aren't reading this in your favorite RSS reader or on Film School Rejects, you're being bamboozled. We hope you'll come find us and enjoy the best articles about movies, television and culture right from the source.
"Roger Christian is Turning Black Angel Into a Feature With Your Help" was originally published on Film School Rejects for our wonderful readers to enjoy. It is not intended to be reproduced on other websites. If you aren't reading this in your favorite RSS reader or on Film School Rejects, you're being bamboozled. We hope you'll come find us and enjoy the best articles about movies, television and culture right from the source.
- 6/2/2015
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
As Star Wars prepares to mount a big-screen comeback, so does Black Angel, the “lost” short that debuted in front of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. A Black Angel feature film is now in the works, with Roger Christian back to write and direct and Rutger Hauer and John Rhys-Davies set to star. […]
The post ‘Star Wars’ Companion Short ‘Black Angel’ to Become Feature Film Starring Rutger Hauer appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Star Wars’ Companion Short ‘Black Angel’ to Become Feature Film Starring Rutger Hauer appeared first on /Film.
- 6/2/2015
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Black Angel first seen as a short at theatrical screenings of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
A short film shown before screenings of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, is to be adapted into a new feature film starring Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) and John Rhys-Davis (Lord of the Rings).
Black Angel: The Feature Film has partnered with crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to launch a 45-day campaign aimed at raising $100,000 (£66,000) which goes live from today http://igg.me/at/blackangel.
Production is slated for September 2015, with filming locations to include Hungary, Belgium, Morocco and Scotland.
Carnaby International will handle worldwide sales and distribution on the film, which is a co-production between Belgium, Hungary, Canada and UK.
The film will be directed and written by Roger Christian, who wrote and directed the original short and won an Oscar for his work on the art/set decoration of the original Star Wars in 1977.
Rewards in the crowdfunding...
A short film shown before screenings of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, is to be adapted into a new feature film starring Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) and John Rhys-Davis (Lord of the Rings).
Black Angel: The Feature Film has partnered with crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to launch a 45-day campaign aimed at raising $100,000 (£66,000) which goes live from today http://igg.me/at/blackangel.
Production is slated for September 2015, with filming locations to include Hungary, Belgium, Morocco and Scotland.
Carnaby International will handle worldwide sales and distribution on the film, which is a co-production between Belgium, Hungary, Canada and UK.
The film will be directed and written by Roger Christian, who wrote and directed the original short and won an Oscar for his work on the art/set decoration of the original Star Wars in 1977.
Rewards in the crowdfunding...
- 6/2/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
John Rhys-Davies and Rutger Hauer have joined the cast of "Black Angel," a feature-length version of the short film that was first attached to screenings of "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980.
A 45-day campaign has begun on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo in the hopes of getting together some supplemental financing for "Black Angel: The Feature Film". Roger Christian, who penned and directed the original short, will return in those capacities here.
A Belgium, Hungary, Canada and U.K. co-production, the film aims to be shot in an "earthy and authentic style combining high adventure with high drama". Production is slated for September in Hungary, Belgium, Morocco and Scotland.
The story follows a knight who undertakes a classic hero’s journey to fight the Black Angel, the Demon Kings commander in the lands of Serandal. Guided by a sorcerer and the daughter of a rival king, they take on an epic adventure.
A 45-day campaign has begun on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo in the hopes of getting together some supplemental financing for "Black Angel: The Feature Film". Roger Christian, who penned and directed the original short, will return in those capacities here.
A Belgium, Hungary, Canada and U.K. co-production, the film aims to be shot in an "earthy and authentic style combining high adventure with high drama". Production is slated for September in Hungary, Belgium, Morocco and Scotland.
The story follows a knight who undertakes a classic hero’s journey to fight the Black Angel, the Demon Kings commander in the lands of Serandal. Guided by a sorcerer and the daughter of a rival king, they take on an epic adventure.
- 6/2/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Thirty-five years after it screened alongside Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, fantasy short Black Angel is getting the feature-length treatment. Roger Christian (Nostradamus, Battlefield Earth), who won an Oscar for his set decoration work on the first Star Wars (where he, among other achievements, helped design the first-ever lightsaber), is returning to write and direct the adaptation of his first-ever effort as a director. “It’s my passion project, has been for 35-36 years,” Christian tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I guess ‘patience is a virtue’ is a true saying.” Originally commissioned
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- 6/2/2015
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The film that screened before Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back has been made available to watch for free on YouTube.
Black Angel was directed by Empire Strikes Back set decorator Roger Christian and played before George Lucas's sequel on its European run.
Star Wars: 10 things you never knew about the galaxy far, far away
"Accompanied by an exclusive introduction from the director Roger Christian, the incredible fantasy short returns," reads the YouTube description.
"It was first released in certain cinemas ahead of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Lost for 35 years, it has been found and restored to its former glory."
Christian said: "George Lucas had requested a film to be made to go out as a programme with The Empire Strikes Back.
"He read my story and commissioned it on the spot. So with a grant of £25,000 I headed to Scotland...
Black Angel was directed by Empire Strikes Back set decorator Roger Christian and played before George Lucas's sequel on its European run.
Star Wars: 10 things you never knew about the galaxy far, far away
"Accompanied by an exclusive introduction from the director Roger Christian, the incredible fantasy short returns," reads the YouTube description.
"It was first released in certain cinemas ahead of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Lost for 35 years, it has been found and restored to its former glory."
Christian said: "George Lucas had requested a film to be made to go out as a programme with The Empire Strikes Back.
"He read my story and commissioned it on the spot. So with a grant of £25,000 I headed to Scotland...
- 5/15/2015
- Digital Spy
Back in 1980, during the original theatrical release of "The Empire Strikes Back," several hundred UK cinemas screened a short film in front of theatrical showings of that movie.
The 25 minute short was a fantasy tale directed by Roger Christian and entitled "Black Angel". Thought lost for decades, there came word in 2011 that a copy of the film had been found and would be getting a painstaking frame-by-frame restoration followed by a digital release online sometime in the future.
That future is now with the entire short film going up online on Youtube today and including an introduction from Christian himself. Christian also says further news regarding the film will arrive on June 2nd and will be announced on the film’s social media channels.
The 25 minute short was a fantasy tale directed by Roger Christian and entitled "Black Angel". Thought lost for decades, there came word in 2011 that a copy of the film had been found and would be getting a painstaking frame-by-frame restoration followed by a digital release online sometime in the future.
That future is now with the entire short film going up online on Youtube today and including an introduction from Christian himself. Christian also says further news regarding the film will arrive on June 2nd and will be announced on the film’s social media channels.
- 5/14/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
A week from tomorrow marks the 35th anniversary of not only “Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back,” but also of the much-discussed and long-lost short film “Black Angel,” which screened in front of the blockbuster back in 1980. After spending some time on iTunes, the short has finally arrived in full for free on YouTube until the end of the month. Two years ago, director Roger Christian revealed that an original negative of his influential short (John Boorman is said to have screened the short for the cast & crew of “Excalibur”) had been located, which allowed for a full restoration. After playing festivals in 2013, the restored film hit iTunes sometime last year and Christian has seen fit to post his film along with an introduction online. Beautiful, haunting, and with a running time just shy of half an hour, the short follows a newly-returned warrior who seeks revenge and justice...
- 5/13/2015
- by Cain Rodriguez
- The Playlist
A small piece of Star Wars history has been restored. Black Angel ran ahead of screenings of The Empire Strikes Back in Europe and Australia in 1980, but was lost until three years ago. The 25-minute film was directed by Roger Christian, who earned an Oscar for set decoration on the original Star Wars. It tells the story of a knight returning home from the Crusades who gets lost in a fantasy realm. George Lucas wanted a film to play ahead of Empire, and commissioned Black Angel after hearing Christian's pitch. Christian took £25,000 and headed to Scotland with
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- 5/13/2015
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Accompanied by an exclusive introduction from the director Roger Christian, the incredible fantasy short Black Angel returns. It was first released in certain cinemas ahead of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Lost for 35 years, it has been found and restored to its former glory – but be quick, Black Angel is only available for free on YouTube from 1pm today for a limited time only, until the end of May.
Thirty-five years ago, a legend was born… As viewers sat down to watch ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ in 1980, they were shown a short film. It was so mysterious and dark that many never forgot it. Its name was Black Angel. The project began when Roger Christian, Art Director on ‘Episode IV: A New Hope’, was given the green light by George Lucas to turn his fantasy script into a short film. Having spent...
Thirty-five years ago, a legend was born… As viewers sat down to watch ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’ in 1980, they were shown a short film. It was so mysterious and dark that many never forgot it. Its name was Black Angel. The project began when Roger Christian, Art Director on ‘Episode IV: A New Hope’, was given the green light by George Lucas to turn his fantasy script into a short film. Having spent...
- 5/13/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Back in 2010, Shadowlocked ran a piece entitled The lost film that accompanied The Empire Strikes Back. It was an excerpt from an in-depth with the short film's writer/director/producer Roger Christian, conducted by our Founding Editor Martin Anderson, and discussing the interesting behind-the-scenes story of the for-a-long-time-lost-but-not-forgotten fantasy short film Black Angel.
Not to be confused with James Cameron's TV series Dark Angel, or Joss Whedon's TV series Angel, Roger Christian's 25-minute short film Black Angel preceded Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, before the print was destroyed and the film thought lost to the world. In recent years, however, another print has been discovered, and now it's been made available for free on YouTube until the end of May.
The Black Angel team have teased “another exciting announcement coming on 2nd June.”
A post on the film's official Facebook page tells fans...
Not to be confused with James Cameron's TV series Dark Angel, or Joss Whedon's TV series Angel, Roger Christian's 25-minute short film Black Angel preceded Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, before the print was destroyed and the film thought lost to the world. In recent years, however, another print has been discovered, and now it's been made available for free on YouTube until the end of May.
The Black Angel team have teased “another exciting announcement coming on 2nd June.”
A post on the film's official Facebook page tells fans...
- 5/12/2015
- Shadowlocked
Black Angel, the legendary short fantasy film attached to initial screenings of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, is now available for free on YouTube until the end of May 2015 (you can watch it below).
The film is accompanied by an exclusive introduction from director Roger Christian. A crucial part of the Star Wars legacy, Black Angel was commissioned by George Lucas, who chose it to accompany Empire in Europe and Australia. The 25-minute film was produced on a budget of £25,000, given to Christian by an Eady Scheme fund from the UK government.
Synopsis:
An epic fantasy adventure, the script follows a knight (Tony Vogel) who returns from the Crusades, only to be transported to a fantasy world to rescue a princess from the [Continued ...]...
The film is accompanied by an exclusive introduction from director Roger Christian. A crucial part of the Star Wars legacy, Black Angel was commissioned by George Lucas, who chose it to accompany Empire in Europe and Australia. The 25-minute film was produced on a budget of £25,000, given to Christian by an Eady Scheme fund from the UK government.
Synopsis:
An epic fantasy adventure, the script follows a knight (Tony Vogel) who returns from the Crusades, only to be transported to a fantasy world to rescue a princess from the [Continued ...]...
- 5/12/2015
- QuietEarth.us
The Star Wars franchise is going strong 38 years later. But what about the artists and filmmakers who helped make the 1977 original a hit?
In theatres all over the world in 1977, audiences thrilled at the sights and sounds of Star Wars. Harking back to a bygone age of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, it also pointed forward to the coming age of ubiquitous computers and special effects-led blockbusters.
But while the triumphant fanfare of John Williams' score gave Star Wars a confident swagger, its success was far from preordained. George Lucas reworked his script time and again; studios turned his concept down; even the production was rushed and torturous.
By now, the contribution George Lucas, John Williams and Star Wars' cast made to cinema is well documented. But what about some of the other artists, technicians and fellow filmmakers who helped to make the movie such a success? Here's...
In theatres all over the world in 1977, audiences thrilled at the sights and sounds of Star Wars. Harking back to a bygone age of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, it also pointed forward to the coming age of ubiquitous computers and special effects-led blockbusters.
But while the triumphant fanfare of John Williams' score gave Star Wars a confident swagger, its success was far from preordained. George Lucas reworked his script time and again; studios turned his concept down; even the production was rushed and torturous.
By now, the contribution George Lucas, John Williams and Star Wars' cast made to cinema is well documented. But what about some of the other artists, technicians and fellow filmmakers who helped to make the movie such a success? Here's...
- 4/22/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
News broke this week that all six Star Wars movies were heading to digital HD for the first time in a new collection to be released on April 10. Not only will you get shiny new digital versions of the existing Star Wars movies, but the collection will also come chock-full of all kinds of special features, many of which we've never seen below. Like nerdy conversations between those who brought Star Wars to life. Here's a little tease (via USA Today) of a chat between set decorator Roger Christian and visual effects designer Joe Johnston on the origins of the iconic Millennium Falcon. Hardcore Star Wars fans may already be familiar with the info nuggets both Christian and Johnston drop in the video above -- most notably that the Rebel Blockade Runner (pictured above...
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- 4/8/2015
- by Erik Davis
- Movies.com
As the world prepares to completely lose its mind with the release of the new Star Wars film, it is obviously time to try to stir the pot as much as possible. That in mind, the previous films from the franchise are going to be released on April 10th in digital edition, and with some new bonuses to help sucker you in to the purchase.
They also come with the legacy bonus content, and put together, these are impressive releases. I don’t want to overly comment on how many sales the first three episodes are going to get, but if you need to catch up on the universe in general, this is your chance. And, since we’re looking at a new generation who need to get on board for the new film, this is the way to go.
Take a look at all the bonus potential below, and...
They also come with the legacy bonus content, and put together, these are impressive releases. I don’t want to overly comment on how many sales the first three episodes are going to get, but if you need to catch up on the universe in general, this is your chance. And, since we’re looking at a new generation who need to get on board for the new film, this is the way to go.
Take a look at all the bonus potential below, and...
- 4/7/2015
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Since its 1977 debut, Star Wars has become perhaps the only franchise to reach every generation in some form or another. The six released movies so far offer everything to pop culture including art, books, conventions and collectables. People always seem to want more out of the movies be it extras or untold behind-the-scenes anecdotes, anything!
Starting on Friday, Star Wars will transcend audiences all over the world once again when Disney, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox release all six Star Wars films on Digital HD for the first time ever. On April 10th you can have the entire saga in digital format. It will be available to buy as a collection or individually at all leading digital retailers: iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon, Xbox Video, PlayStation Store, and Verizon Fios.
Each digital release will come complete with two new, never-before-seen bonus features: “Star Wars: Discoveries from Inside” and “Conversations...
Starting on Friday, Star Wars will transcend audiences all over the world once again when Disney, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox release all six Star Wars films on Digital HD for the first time ever. On April 10th you can have the entire saga in digital format. It will be available to buy as a collection or individually at all leading digital retailers: iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon, Xbox Video, PlayStation Store, and Verizon Fios.
Each digital release will come complete with two new, never-before-seen bonus features: “Star Wars: Discoveries from Inside” and “Conversations...
- 4/7/2015
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
From Green Lantern 2 and Terminator: Salvation 2, to a Cat In The Hat sequel and Batman Triumphant: sequels killed by the earlier film...
Earlier this year, it was revealed that a sequel was in the early stages for the new Pierce Brosnan action thriller, The November Man. Remember it? Probably not: The November Man would go on to flop in the Us, grossing just $25m in the Us, and when it finally made it to British cinemas, it was released on just one screen (presumably to fill a contractual obligation somewhere along the line).
There's been no word yet on the fate of The November Man 2, but the outlook does not seem favourable. It wouldn't be the first time though that a sequel had been loudly mooted before even a first film was released, only to be quietly abandoned when something - usually related to box office takings - didn't go to plan.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that a sequel was in the early stages for the new Pierce Brosnan action thriller, The November Man. Remember it? Probably not: The November Man would go on to flop in the Us, grossing just $25m in the Us, and when it finally made it to British cinemas, it was released on just one screen (presumably to fill a contractual obligation somewhere along the line).
There's been no word yet on the fate of The November Man 2, but the outlook does not seem favourable. It wouldn't be the first time though that a sequel had been loudly mooted before even a first film was released, only to be quietly abandoned when something - usually related to box office takings - didn't go to plan.
- 12/7/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
The Star Wars Rebels one-hour TV movie premieres tonight at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on Disney Channel. This will lead into the series that will air on Disney Xd starting on Monday, October 13th, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. Yesterday, Disney announced that the show has already been renewed for a second season. The fact that Rebels will be priming audiences and laying the groundwork for what to expect in the new trilogy is likely a more important factor in the decision than the early buzz, which has been very positive. Producer Simon Kinberg said in a previous interview,
"There are characters, vehicles, imagery that are introduced in the show before we've ever seen them in the movies, possibly including VII."
Like J.J. Abrams with Episode VII, the team behind Rebels is aiming to recapture the magic of the classic trilogy, and they’ve gone to painstaking lengths in their attempt to do so.
"There are characters, vehicles, imagery that are introduced in the show before we've ever seen them in the movies, possibly including VII."
Like J.J. Abrams with Episode VII, the team behind Rebels is aiming to recapture the magic of the classic trilogy, and they’ve gone to painstaking lengths in their attempt to do so.
- 10/3/2014
- by Eli Reyes
- GeekTyrant
John Travolta admits he has no regrets over Battlefield Earth, and would do it all again...
The knives were firmly out for John Travolta's long-cherished passion project, Battlefield Earth, when it landed in cinemas in 1999. Eyed as the first in a multiple-part adaptation of the source material, with Roger Christian directing, the project attracted negative attention from the off for being an adaptation of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard's book. It would be fair to say that, while it has merits, the end movie probably didn't help either.
In an interesting new interview over at The Daily Beast, however, Travolta has stood by the film. When asked if he regretted it, he adamantly replied "no way, are you kidding? Why would I ever regret that?"
He continued, saying that "I had the power to do whatever I wanted and I chose to do a book that I thought was...
The knives were firmly out for John Travolta's long-cherished passion project, Battlefield Earth, when it landed in cinemas in 1999. Eyed as the first in a multiple-part adaptation of the source material, with Roger Christian directing, the project attracted negative attention from the off for being an adaptation of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard's book. It would be fair to say that, while it has merits, the end movie probably didn't help either.
In an interesting new interview over at The Daily Beast, however, Travolta has stood by the film. When asked if he regretted it, he adamantly replied "no way, are you kidding? Why would I ever regret that?"
He continued, saying that "I had the power to do whatever I wanted and I chose to do a book that I thought was...
- 9/17/2014
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Avco Center Cinemas, Westwood, CA
On Friday, director Ridley Scott arrived in Sydney, Australia, reportedly to scout for locations for Prometheus 2.
Prometheus (2012) starred Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba, was well received by critics and subsequently a box office hit. The sequel is scheduled for a release in March 2016.
I’ll bet Scott never thought in a million years that he’d be scouting locations for another Alien movie almost 35 years to the day after the original hit theaters.
Jump back to opening weekend… May 25, 1979. “In space no one can hear you scream”
I was a 12 year girl when my mother, after much pleading, took me to the Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford, Ct on that Friday night. These were the days prior to the words “spoilers” and “internet” when audiences went into a film blind and when parents didn’t take their children to R rated movies.
On Friday, director Ridley Scott arrived in Sydney, Australia, reportedly to scout for locations for Prometheus 2.
Prometheus (2012) starred Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba, was well received by critics and subsequently a box office hit. The sequel is scheduled for a release in March 2016.
I’ll bet Scott never thought in a million years that he’d be scouting locations for another Alien movie almost 35 years to the day after the original hit theaters.
Jump back to opening weekend… May 25, 1979. “In space no one can hear you scream”
I was a 12 year girl when my mother, after much pleading, took me to the Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford, Ct on that Friday night. These were the days prior to the words “spoilers” and “internet” when audiences went into a film blind and when parents didn’t take their children to R rated movies.
- 5/25/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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