The past and present life of monster movies (1) The early growth of movie monsters

Source: Mars Era Editor: annie Release time: 2008-03-20

Movie The reason why it is interesting is that human beings experience the joy of overcoming difficulties again and again. When a few villains and imaginary gods cannot satisfy mankind's desire to conquer, monsters appear in the movie - very real imaginary enemies of mankind. From the original "Lost World" to "Jurassic Park" and then to "War of the Dragons", every time humans conquer monsters on the big screen, they have witnessed the advancement of CG technology. This topic will present to you the past and present of monster movies, tutorials on the production of monsters at home and abroad, and take you to witness the gorgeous transformation of monster movies after encountering CG.

Early monster special effects could only be obtained from the camera lens, which used miniature landscapes, back-projection backgrounds, hand-painted backgrounds, etc. The shot lens effect became the last movie the audience saw. The effect of this kind of special effects The downside is that once the shoot is done, it can’t be changed. Come take a look at the movie monsters from the 1920s to the 1970s!

The earliest movie monster - from: "The Lost World" 1925

Director: Harry O. Hoyt

Country/Region: United States

This is a famous technological breakthrough film that created a new film type - monster film, and was also the first monster image in the history of film.

The film tells the story of a group of scientists trying to extract the remaining dinosaur blood from ancient mosquito fossils, recombinant DNA, breed long-extinct biological dinosaurs, and create a huge theme park on a small island in Costa Rica. But this challenge to all things in nature brought an unprecedented disaster, and then all the dinosaurs were destroyed.

The most classic old version of the gorilla monster - from: "King Kong" 1933

Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack

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Merian C. Cooper

Country: United States

Distribution company: Turner Home Ent

Production company : RKO Radio Pictures Inc

The 1933 version of "King Kong" is very popular among movie fans. Because it not only represents a simple film work, it even leads a trend in film art.

It was shot using the "Stop Motion" method. Every time a frame of film or action was taken, the staff had to move the 18-inch-tall model. At that time, the staff made many orangutan models to assist in the shooting. If you look closely, you will find that the appearance of the orangutan on the desert island is actually different from the one in New York. After the film was released, it grossed US$90,000 in the United States, setting a record. The film ended up with $17 million, saving RKO, the company that produced the film, from bankruptcy.

The most traceless monster - from: "The Atomic Monster" 1953

Director: Eugène Lourié

Duration: 80 minutes

Country/Region: United States

Release date: 1953-06-13

Hollywood film special effects veteran Ray Harryhausen created the creation for the science fiction film "Atomic Monster" Classic animated characters. The brilliance of his filmmaking lies in the seamless integration of the characters on the rear projection and the models in the foreground. The samurai's gun in the background can actually seem to actually penetrate the body of the animal in the foreground.

The scariest monster - from: "Twenty Million Leagues to Earth" 1957

Also known as: Venus Monster

Director: Nathan Juran

Starring: Jan Arvan, Bart Braverman, Sid Cassel

Duration: 82 minutes

Release date: 1965-12-6

This is a science fiction thriller with fantastic special effects. A secret trip to Venus brought unexpected disasters to mankind. Hopper brought back an alien creature when he returned from the trip to Venus. Once on Earth, the creature eventually transformed into a massive monster that threatened the city of Rome.

The scariest alien monster - from: "Alien 1" 1979

Director: Ridley Scott

Country/ Region: United States

Length: 116 minutes

In 1979, a great movie was born. Her birth opened up a new movie genre-science fiction horror movie. This great movie is "Alien".

Due to the long history, film stunts at that time were not as developed as they are now. Most of the stunts were performed by real people or mechanical models, so it was unrealistic to create a large number of stunt lenses. The director's ingenious conception bypassed these disadvantages. There is only one alien in the whole film, and it is only in the second half of the film that the audience really sees the full extent of the ferocious alien. But the director's superb performance skills keep the audience in tension every moment. "The more invisible it is, the scarier it is" is what makes it a classic.

The monster with the most Greek mythological temperament - from: "The Dragon Slayer" in 1981

Director: Denivan Davis

Starring: Harry Harlin, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith, Esula Andress

Region: Europe and America

Film length: 118 minutes

A large-scale Greek mythology film produced in the UK. The entire film was directed by Dismond. Under Davis' smooth processing, he uses excellent image effects and special effects to attract the audience's attention, making this film more enjoyable to watch than ordinary costume myth films.

With the advancement of technology, optical special effects technology has begun to be used in film shooting. That is to say, we use lights, shadows, lenses, and even chemical reactions of film to produce visual effects. We can even apply optical special effects such as blue screen, image synthesis, and double exposure. The monsters in the movie have a more realistic image.

The most ever-changing monster - from: "The Thing" 1982

Original name: The Thing

Translated: Mutant Type III (Taiwan)/ The Thing (Hong Kong)

Director: John Carpenter

Duration: 108 minutes

Country: United States

It can be said that the creation of monsters in movies truly matured with the 1982 science fiction film called "THE THING". The classic monster in the movie "The Thing" has no face and can transform into various creatures at will. This alien monster is extremely ferocious and good at infiltration, and different aspects of human nature are exposed. This is the brilliance of the film, and it is also the scariest thing about this shape-shifting alien, because it turns the enemies of mankind into each other. .

The director went against the grain. Within a few minutes of the opening of the film, a grotesque appearance appeared, and every detail of the body was exposed to the audience through the camera without any reservation, making the audience feel a surge of stomach acid. Feeling of vomiting. After all, Carpenter is a master of making horror films. He knows that the Thing has different characteristics from other monsters. Its ever-changing abilities and attributes determine that there is no question of its true appearance. The important thing is how to create those strange appearances to the audience. To create a sense of freshness, you must rely on powerful prop production and special effects production.

The most comedic monster - from: "Ghostbusters" 1984

Director: Ivan Lehmann

Country: United States

Length: 105 minutes

The 1984 and 1989 classic "Ghostbuster" is one of the funniest and most popular comedies in film history, blending Action, adventure, and jaw-dropping special effects, it mainly tells the story of three college professors named Bill who left campus to form the "Ghostbusters" and use the latest scientific equipment to deal with the ghosts that haunt New York City.

The most talked about monster - from: "Jurassic Park" 1993

Director: Steven Spielberg

Others Movie alias: JP (USA) (promotional abbreviation)

Country/Region: United States

Duration: 127 minutes

Great director Steven Spear Berg used the most advanced computer animation technology to create lifelike dinosaurs in 1993. He combined elements of science fiction and science to create a breathtaking monster movie with stunning special effects scenes and a thrilling plot.

Monster movie: ＜Godzilla＞

Plot:

Due to the radiation caused by the nuclear test, a giant lizard with a height of 90 feet was created. ---Godzilla, the whole of New York is in chaos. Scientists, journalists, television cameramen, military personnel and insurance company inspectors banded together to deal with it. Because the panic and damage it causes are too great, if it is not stopped, everything it goes will be reduced to ruins.

Roland Emmerich is a top-notch special effects director in the United States. I believe many viewers saw a white beam of light coming from top to bottom, a giant UFO blowing up the White House to pieces, and the whole of Washington suddenly falling into a sea of ??fire; The devastating scenes such as the huge waves rushing into New York City and drowning the Statue of Liberty were jaw-dropping. After the movie, there must be many viewers who still sat in their seats and indulged in the dazzling special effects and shocking audio-visual effects. It was Roland Emmerich who used special effects to the extreme and realistically led the audience into thrilling and immersive disaster scenes! Godzilla, Japan's national beast, is fighting against this. What kind of sparks will a great director of disaster films create? When Godzilla traveled across the ocean and came to Hollywood, of course it was no longer a shabby appearance made of plastic. It was repackaged with computer technology. The visual effects of this film were certainly not as good as those of the early days. Nothing comparable to the Japanese version. However, Godzilla's appearance, which resembles a Jurassic Park dinosaur, and its clichéd plot are difficult to arouse the audience's interest. Although the scene of Godzilla rampaging through New York is exciting, if there is no creativity, just wait for the box office failure!

Don’t be surprised, the monster movie is a science fiction movie, a disaster movie, and a horror movie: Animal mutated monsters are science fiction, right? Monsters eating people and people running away are disasters, right? Bloody scenes of cannibalism are horror, right? So it makes sense to let a director who is familiar with science fiction disaster movies make "Godzilla" .

Changes in the Godzilla movie

January 26, 2005 10:54 NetEase Entertainment has a new job

When Hollywood’s screen monsters are full When the world is in chaos, you may not know that the biggest monster image in film history was created by the Japanese. Speaking of Godzilla, people who like to watch entertainment movies may have heard of it, but most people remember the monster that was released in the United States in 1998 and wreaked havoc on New York. In fact, Godzilla’s hometown is Japan.

In 1954, Toho Pictures released the first Godzilla movie: "Gozilla: King of the Monster".

Judging from the size, this fresh screen image is indeed the king of monsters, with a total length of 55 meters and a weight of 25,000 tons. Even the brachiosaurus, known as the giant in history, cannot compare with it. In terms of destructive power, Godzilla is also unprecedented. Not only is he powerful and invulnerable, but he can also breathe fire. Every time he wreaks havoc in a city, he can bring devastating disasters.

So, where did such a huge monster "pop" out? There are several different theories about Godzilla's life experience. One is that a hybrid of two dinosaurs in ancient times was awakened by nuclear radiation after being frozen in the earth's crust for millions of years. Another theory is that Godzilla was awakened by nuclear radiation. The birth of Godzilla can be traced back to an era earlier than the dinosaurs, and is the descendant of giant creatures (if there were any) when the earth was still in a period of volcanic activity; there is also a theory that Godzilla is a type of dinosaur, but it has been Nuclear radiation changes genes.

In fact, anyone with a discerning eye will know at a glance that none of the above statements have scientific basis, and some are simply things to deceive children. Yes, even the creation of the monster movie series represented by "Godzilla" is a phenomenon of self-deception. It was only possible to develop and grow in the special period of Japan in the 1950s, a special country and a special national environment. Due to the defeat of the war, Article 9 of Japan's post-war constitution stipulates that Japan cannot shoot films and television works that show fierce war scenes. However, the audience still has a need to watch war themes, so they came up with films that show war through fictional plots and characters. In this completely fictional world, the evil party is either an invader from an unknown region of the universe, or a mysterious high-tech organization that wants to rule the world. What follows is a devastating threat to normal human life. A monster. Of course, these three themes are also very closely integrated, and finally evolved into a "tokusatsu" film with unique Japanese characteristics.

The so-called "special photography" originally refers to movies made using special photography techniques, covering a wide range of movies. American science fiction films and Hong Kong martial arts films can all be considered "special photography". However, the way the Japanese use to shoot fictional war and fight movies with fictional backgrounds is unique, and because the Japanese have been obsessed with movies made in this way for decades, this type of movie has become It became a spectacle, and finally dominated the title of "special photography". To put it simply, the most obvious signs of Japanese "tokusatsu" are two: leather cases and models. Whether they are justice warriors or giant monsters, actors wear specific forms of leather jackets to perform; and the cities destroyed by fierce battles in "special photography" movies rely on model stunts. There are other related methods and means. In short, compared with American fantasy-themed movies, one of the biggest features of Japanese tokusatsu is that it is very faithful to traditional manual techniques and rarely relies on advanced computer stunts. Although the Japanese He is also very savvy in computer technology.

When contemporary audiences watch monster movies like "Godzilla" or other "special photography" films like "Salt Man" and "Iron Man", the biggest feeling may be one word :stupid. Needless to say, the background of the plot is originally fictional and cannot withstand strict scrutiny; the performance method in which the actors wear props and holsters is difficult to arouse the interest of adults; the destructive effect placed in a large scene is due to the model It has limitations, and it is difficult to have the same visual impact as a picture that has been repaired and polished with digital special effects.

However, in the history of contemporary Japanese films, "special photography" films like "Godzilla" are of great significance. This is not only reflected in the fact that "Godzilla" is the longest-running movie series in the history of world cinema, but also in the obsession with it by generations of Japanese movie audiences. In the fictional world, people's natural preferences for bravery and justice can be satisfied. The poor material conditions in the early post-war period also made the Japanese people feel very shocked and very satisfied with the monsters and large-scale destructive scenes on the screen. "Monster movies" once became the representative of large-scale destructiveness on Japanese screens. Picture only licensed. Perhaps everyone has a hidden desire for destruction in their hearts, and this desire can be released and vented like the rampant "Godzilla".

The traditional special effects used in the initial "special photography" films seemed to be very advanced under the film technology conditions of the time; in the subsequent development, these special effects were continuously improved to the point of proficiency, and also cultivated the "monster movie" A large number of loyal fans. Since the 1970s, as the export volume of Japanese films has increased, the influence of "Tokusatsu" films has spread overseas. Quentin Tarantino, who has become famous this year, became a big fan of "Monster Movies". "Some of the special shooting tools and methods used in the film can also be vaguely detected in fantasy films shot in Hollywood and other parts of the world.

Audiences who grew up under the influence of "Godzilla" have a strong affinity for "tokusatsu" movies. But the development of a movie genre cannot solely rely on the enthusiasm of old audiences, but must also rely on its own continuous development. The "features" of "tokusatsu" movies are a two-edged sword, which not only makes them independent of the world of movies, but also loses their appeal due to lack of new ideas. Especially under the impact of Hollywood's powerful digital special effects, the market for "special photography" movies is shrinking. Coupled with a large number of sequels and imitations that follow the trend but are shoddy, "Tokusatsu" movies can now only deceive young children with empty illusions. Even the unparalleled "Godzilla" series will end its 50-year screen career at the end of this year, destroying world-famous cities such as New York, Tokyo, Sydney, and Shanghai.

Like American westerns and Chinese martial arts films, "special photography" films represented by "Godzilla" are destined to enter a "post-classic" period. Whether it dies in the rut or breaks out of the cocoon in innovation, this last "Godzilla: Final Battle" obviously cannot provide the answer. It is just taking advantage of people's nostalgia for the last time. Count romantic monsters, but also look at the Ming Dynasty.

Title: 20 Million Miles to Earth, Venus Monster 20 Million Miles to Earth

Director: Nathan Juran

Starring: William Hopper Joan Taylor Frank Puglia John Zaremba

Name: Beowulf & Grendel

Director: Sturla Gunnarsson

Starring: Tony Curran Curran Sarah Polley Ronan Vibert

Name: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

Director: Eugène Lourié

Starring: Paul Hubschmid Rae Patterson Lee Van Cleef

Name: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed/Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed/Scooby 2/Scooby Too

Director: Raja Gosnell

Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr. . Sarah Michelle Gellar

Name: Godzilla Series: Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

Director: Ishir Honda Terry O. Morse

Starring: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura Akira Takarada

Name: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

Starring: Chiharu N?yama, Ryudo Uzaki, Masahiro Kobayashi ) (Takashi Nishina) (Kaho Minami)

Name: Monsters, Inc./Monsters Power Company/Monsters, Inc.

Director: Peter Docter David ·David Silverman Lee Unkrich

Starring: John Goodman @John Gawain John Goodman Billy Crystal Mary Gibbs Mary Gibbs Steve Buscemi James Coburn Jennifer Till

Name: Monster House/Monster House/Monster House Monster House

Director: Jill ·Gil Kenan

Starring: Nick Cannon, Steve Buscemi, Kevin James

Name: Poke League

Heroes/Pocket Monsters 5 Pokémon Heroes

Director: Jim Malone, Kunihiko Yuyama

Starring: Veronica Taylor Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Masashi Ebara

Top 10 Monsters in Movies

Ten Fire Dragons＜＜Fire Dragon Empire＞＞

The ancient legends began to become reality, and mankind began to move towards destruction

Nine giant pythons＜＜The Catastrophe of the Python 2＞＞

Typical Hollywood commercial production, the ferocity of the python brings out the ugliness of human nature

Eight Predators＜＜Alien vs. Predator＞＞

A bloodthirsty hunt The one who is the movie monster that people cannot forget

Seven Aliens＜＜Alien＞＞

The dazzling star in the monster movie has opened up a new movie model

Six Shreks＜＜Shrek＞＞

A warm and touching fairy tale, the cutest monster in the history of movies

Five Great White Sharks＜＜Great White Sharks>gt;

Classic monsters, classic movies, indelible marks of an era

Four dinosaurs＜＜Jurassic Park＞＞

In the virtual dinosaur world, Infinite happiness with the wings of human imagination

Three Goraths＜＜Goras＞＞

The movie monsters from Asia to the world have begun a new round of battle for the king of monsters

二E.Tlt;lt;E.T Aliengt;gt;

The sincere friendship that transcends species boundaries is the most heartwarming emotional segment in monster movies

One King Kong＜＜King Kong＞＞

The ancestor and trademark of monster movies, the eternal king of monsters in the movie world