Hey folks, Harry here with some interesting updates from the world of CHUD. And what is particularly astounding is that the projects that the amazing Nick decided to e-me about are both projects that I've sort of been involved in. The first is GHOSTS OF MARS....
In Nick's review of the script he gives it a sort of shaky hand 6.5 out of 10 sort of rating. Calling the bad guys 'However, these villains are not classic. They're good fodder for action heroics, but not the kind of antagonist that gets an audience's investment.'
Well, that is how they are ON PAPER... .there is a difference in the actual execution of the characters. First, if you check out the IFC (Independent Film Channel) documentary, AMERICAN NIGHTMARE... there is a brief shot in John Carpenter's home, where you see a series of three heads.... these heads are KNB effects test heads for GHOSTS OF MARS.... and from what I have heard from extras on set.... these guys are very intense. A cruel bizarre fetish-piercing hell creatures.... Remember Brian Yuzna's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3... the bad ass zombie chick that shoves all that metal into her.... it's like that but more painful looking. Also there is the face painting and tatooing that combined with the ferocity that Carpenter is apparently getting out of them... it is working. BUT THAT isn't on the page... and who knows, that might just be a perception on set that isn't getting in the camera... we'll have to wait and see to be sure. No matter what, it has got to be better than the two Mars movies we have thus far.
The other film that Nick has coverage of over at his site is the untitled BARBER SHOP flick that the Coen brothers have directed. I actually got to be on set for this movie one night.... The night I was there they were shooting a long long push from out in the street, onto the front porch into the living room where a young girl was playing the piano through that room and onto Billy Bob Thornton's face in the adjoining room.... Fantastic single move shot.... Really really cool. Billy Bob is made up to look a bit like a combination of Raymond Massey and Humphrey Bogart. The oddest part was knowing that every element I saw was going to be stripped of color... as I was on a BLACK AND WHITE film set, and here... like when I was on the FAIL SAFE set, color was merely shades of gray. However, over on Nick's site is a fantastic look at the script, without too many spoilers. So check out what Nick has to say below and check em out...
Hey Harry,
Even though your severed head gets above the title billing in GHOSTS OF MARS, I still found some stuff about the script which left a bad taste in my pants... er, MOUTH.
The CHUD Creature Corner script review lurks here:
If you're into it.
Also, on CHUD our resident Jack Skellington, Daniel Bellury was kind enough to review the new Coen script "The Barber Movie".
It can be hated at:
If you think your readers would dig them, we'd love to have 'em.
Be good and decaptiated.
-Nick
CHUD.com
FetalFilms.Com
Creature-Corner.Com
and so on...
