DEJAVU

The new Predator movie was released yesterday, i really like it, its an enjoyable film which really works but the reason i feel it work is because it is so much like the first movie. Their are just so many intertextual connections and similarities to the first movie, the musics almost identical, they in similar looking jungle, their are certain character which seem to mirror characters from the first movie, the Russian also use the same chain/mini gun from the first movie, the Yakuza character speaks virtually no lines and has a one on one stand off with a predator just like Billy the Navajo Indian from the first movie.
Their are so many lines of dialog which has been literally lifted of the original " common kill me, what are you waiting for" you do get a real sense of dejavu whilst watching this movie. in some respects it really works, it takes the best parts of the first and takes it a step forward, the director has real love for the first movie and it really shows, and its this love of the movie which really reflects the director and gives me great respect for the movie, especially the mirrored scene of the predator in camouflage when their eyes flash green that's truly awesome, and something that has never made it into any other sequel, and predator's still look totally amazing in the jungle its the best scenery for this creature, it just works so well the look and colours truly iconic.

INTERTEXTUALITY

I really enjoyed this weeks lecture on intertextuality, it was really interesting and finally put a name to something i knew about, i understood most of the lecture, how directors, artists, writers, and even model makers reference and take inspiration from exterior sources whether consciously or unconsciously. which happens even more in today's trend of remake frenzy.

The most recent source of intertextual film i have watched would be the Nightmare On Elm Street remake which is full of intertextuality, you have the token hat the striped jumper and the iconic bladed fingers, he is also burned but the new make up is more realistic. Also the film has alot of exactly the same scenes in it, the boiler scenes, the body bag sliding down the hall way, the claw coming out of the bath and various others they have been consciously tweaked but they still both trying to achieve the same impact, which is to please the fans but also deliver their own story when added to the rest of the content.

not another remake

just watched the new Nightmare on Elm Street and was actually quite impressed considering its another re imagining (remake) but in some ways they pulled it of really quite well, i was really quite surprised. Its allot darker than the original the Freddy character has been made more serious and rather quite sadistic which work really quite and was played brilliantly by actor Jackie Earle Haley, he really gave the character allot of depth and even more life and expression. he's not better than Robert Englund just different. 

The make up really was effective, allot more effective than the over flamboyant 80s Kruger, mainly because the make up was actually based on real burn victims which really gave the character a greater sense of realism and certainly enhanced the eerie feel of the character, they really managed to stamp a new mark on the Kruger myth and its not a bad one.

Their was allot of weakness in the film like reshuffling plot sequences from the original and filling in gaps with some attempts at jumpy bits, they then finally went their own way with the story and that worked quite well, they should of totally done this to begin with and stopped boring from the original which would have made a much more interesting film but overall it was quite enjoyable.  

realism sculpting

recently while surfing YouTube i discovered some videos on sculpting almost to a hyper realistic standard and was amazed. The videos were made by a company called Creager studios an American couple who do some really impressive sculptures to check the videos out go to...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo4COOhPk3k

They also have a really interesting website with some really impressive links which i have found very useful for sculpting ideas.

http://www.creagers.com

HAMMERED

I have basically spent my weekend on the good side of a bottle of Ouzo whilst watching a load of Hammer horror movies mainly one's about Dracula, which i actually found really enjoyable, considering the last time i had seen them i was about ten years old. Even though they felt really cheesy their wasn't really that much difference in the story ideas then compared to the 80s and 90s, the only difference was the special effects and level of gore which increased, which just enhanced the level of realism making the films i enjoy to this day.

MORTAL KOMBAT REBIRTH Teaser full

YouTube - MORTAL KOMBAT REBIRTH Teaser full [HD] - 2010

for any Mortal Kombat fan this preview really needs are support because this looks F**king awesome and has the amazing Michael jay White, who is an outstanding martial artist, also watch Blood and Bone and Undisputed 2 for some really good action sequences, especially between Scott Adkins and Michael jay white, the choreography is phenomenal

This trailer is a pitch, the more support we give it the more chance it will be become a film, it really is the movie that the mortal kombat saga needs, truly awesome.

just seen this amazing new predator sculpt by Narin looks totally awesome, can't wait till he posts more on the up and coming beserker sculpt