Reminds Me Of 'Jurassic Park'

The VFX in 'Jurassic Park' were ahead of their time. My jaw dropped. I could not believe what I was seeing. Those dinosaurs looked better than anything that came before and, in fact, most of the stuff that came after. Even today, often, CGI doesn't look as good.

It was quite a ride and, I believe, the reason for that is simple. Steven Spielberg demanded it. He pushed the tech of the day to the limits and constantly asked if there was any way to clean it up, make it more real, make it better. It was the passion of the director that made T-Rex so scary. Other less involved directors did not (and do not) get similar results. 'Jurassic Park' came out in 1993 and even twenty years later we see cheesy effects in movies all the time.

The CGI in 'Pacific Rim' may not be as revolutionary as those in 'Jurassic Park' but, still, you can see the influence and high standards of the director, Guillermo del Toro. These monsters are something to behold and they do look better than I would have expected.

Wonderful work by ILM both technically of course, but also artistically. Yes, this is beautiful. 'Pacific Rim' sets a new standard.




















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Flat Buzz But Great Reviews

I thought 'Pacific Rim' was a great idea. Giant robots fighting monsters from the other side of the universe -- had never been done, sounded like fun. Then, I heard about the whole 'drift' thing and the way it takes two psychically bonded pilots to control the Jaegers. Something about that seemed off -- fresh, new, but a bit too complex and subtle an idea for a summer popcorn movie. I had my doubts. Buzz flattened and I think it's because of the drift concept. People weren't interested in such an involved idea. It came off too touchy-feely.

Things were looking grim for 'Pacific Rim'. At one point they were forecasting a $30m opening weekend.

At the same time, though, footage was some of the best I've seen. That, plus the fact that the monster design is, how to say this?...innovative, scary, while maintaining an organic realism that makes your jaw drop. The monsters looked awesome. The robots were good, but sort of same ole same ole, but the monsters rocked. I was looking forward to seeing 'Pacific Rim' again.

Even if PR doesn't do well in the US, I'm thinking it will rake overseas. The European and Asian markets love stuff like drifting. They live for touchy-feely. Makes us squeamish, they eat it up. And, robots fighting monsters plays huge, especially in China and Japan.

Reviews are rolling in and they're over the top. These guys loved the movie. They're totally wowed by the monsters and fight sequences. Hopefully, buzz will pick up and PR will do some (domestic) business. There's still time. It could happen.
























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'Pacific Rim' Featurette -- or -- You Kaiju, You

I had my doubts about 'Pacific Rim'. Still do. I'm thinking the depth of character they're going for might not be attainable in a summer blockbuster (especially a pure genre monster flick) without coming off too involved or even hokey to the target audience. That's neither here nor there, really. We'll see.

But, gotta hand it to Guillermo del Toro. He and his team designed and rendered some very cool looking monsters. Possibly the best CGI yet. I can't remember seeing anything like this before.

After seeing this featurette I'm thinking 'Pacific Rim' has a shot at huge box office.





















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Guillermo del Toro Talks Jaegers

'Pacific Rim' has more potential than any recent movie of its kind I can remember. The Superman reboot comes to mind as far as being a fresh take, however 'Pacific Rim', though it has giant robots like a certain other franchise, deals with something that hasn't been done in feature films. We've seen robots vs. monsters from space in cartoons and maybe some TV shows (especially the Japanese stuff) but not movies. And, this is certainly differs from the Godzilla template.

Could be a lot of fun. Could have depth. Del Toro, as usual, has gone all-out in developing the look of the film which, at the least, makes 'Pacific Rim' a must-rent. Should do very well at the box office in its first week.























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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Talks 'Mama'

Makes some comments that echo what Guillermo del Toro has said about the Mama character. Worth a listen if you're into this movie/producer.



















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Guillermo del Toro with some 'Mama' Backstory/Motivation

Yeah, that makes sense. Gives room for character arc and helps explain Jessica Chastain's (character's) coldness and distance.

Continues to look very good.

















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Oof. International Trailer for 'Mama'

Very creepy visuals. So creepy.



First trailer and the short directed by Andres Muschietti (who directs the feature as well) that 'Mama' is based on.




















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Totally Wow Must-See Trailer for Guillermo del Toro Produced 'Mama'

What a creepshow. Produced by Guillermo del Toro. With Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.


Based on the short film by Andres Muschietti, 'Mamá'. Here's a clip (or maybe it's the entire short, I'm not sure). Very impressive directing/camera. Check the hand placement on the rail at 1:06 and how the camera frames it -- not an accident. The steady shot down the stairs is good work. Muschietti did a great job working with kids, getting compelling performances from them. The girl's entrance is one of the creepiest visuals I've seen.



Very well done. I don't even care about most efforts. They're not scary, have no spine, are not engaging. This, however, hits the mark. Good, good stuff. Wow. Yes. Waiting. 'Mama' will be one to see and Muschietti is one to watch for.

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Come And Join Us!

'Julia's Eyes'

Trailer for 'Julia's Eyes'. From the makers of 'The Orphanage', which was heavy on atmosphere but light on narrative energy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes I feel like I'm watching a soap opera. 'Julia's Eyes' seems much the same but with perhaps a bit more forward motion. The trailer gets points for style, jury's still out on content.

The Magic Notebook/Diary

I wish I could draw. I'd really like to be able to produce storyboards (I'm working on it). Guillermo del Toro's notebook of sketches for Hellboy 2 characters has been getting lots of press. Here's Peter Bart's write up. Here is Bart and del Toro on Shootout.

Here is the NYT piece and interactive feature.

Guillermo del Toro has made some of the pages available on his site.

Creep vs. Gore

'El Orfanata' (The Orphanage), directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, is shaping up to be the most rewarding creepshow in a long time -- and, not surprisingly, this picture is a Spanish production.

The Spanish seem to have a lock on creepy, character-driven movies of late. Guillermo del Toro recently gave us 'El Laberinto del Fauno' (Pan's Labyrinth), an atmospheric and lovingly photographed fable which, although it didn't quite maintain its forward motion in Act II, was original and enjoyable.

Del Toro's 'El Espinazo del Diablo' (The Devil's Backbone) sustains itself with more energy but, doesn't offer as compelling a set of characters, or story. Still, it's a lot of fun. Even his uneven 'Mimic' shows more heart than most -- I'd recommend it. All in all, Del Toro's movies are a breath of fresh air that, amid emotionally challenged and intellectually stagnate Hollywood horror fare, revive the imagination and renew one's interest in good storytelling.

And then there's perhaps the best of recent Spanish creepshows, 'The Others', directed by Alejandro Amenabar. Here Nicole Kidman is pitch perfect, the story manages to ratchet up tension at every turn, the cinematography is a pleasure -- with scenes that are both classically lit yet keep a contemporary fluidity in the camera and editing -- and even the ending (that most difficult thing to peg in a supernatural thriller) is satisfying. And, if Hollywood isn't convinced by those qualities, 'The Others' was a huge financial success as well.

Why is Spain the new font of character-driven suspense? With the waning success of the new super-graphic, ultra-sarcastic brand of Hollywood horror movie, Tinsel Town could take a lesson. (Not that they're likely to). But, one can hope. In the meantime mi gusto mucho los nuevos peliculos de Espana. Hey, that's the best I could do -- high school Spanish was long time ago. See you at the movies...

Hellboy II

Here's a nice piece of work directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo

Talk of the Nation with Guillermo del Toro, director and writer of the fable for adults, "Pan's Labyrinth" -- "Magic and imagination create a spiritual reality." (11 min.)

Pan's Labyrinth Isn't Just For Kids

If you haven't seen a trailer for "Pan's Labyrinth" yet, you may want to have a look. This is a disturbing movie from a director who had a disturbing childhood (see Anne Thompson's piece on Guillermo del Toro). PL is not just pretty pictures (in fact I'm not even sure children should watch this one) -- this movie has strong social commentary and some very graphic sequences. Apple.com has a beautiful hi-def trailer.

What Makes del Toro Tick?

Anne Thompson recently hosted Guillermo del Toro, director of "Pan's Labyrinth", at her Sneak Previews class. In her report we get a clue as to the nature of what is becoming known as the 'violent scenes' of Labyrinth, as well as insight into del Toro's make up:

During his violent childhood in Mexico, he was beaten with a chain while a friend was beaten with a bottle in the back of a car. "Unlike the movies, the bottle never broke," he said. He spent time during his high school years "volunteering" at an insane asylum, where he used to walk through the morgue, where illegally aborted dead fetuses were piled up, on his way to have lunch in the cemetary. Hmmm.

When del Toro was 33, his father was kidnapped and held for 72 days as everyone waited. A cop told him that if they found the kidnappers, he knew how to get them to talk. "Break the nose," he told del Toro. "Then move it back and forth."

That's quite the background. Complete piece at Risky Biz