Geekery: Bring Creature Features Back
If you’re a fan of the creature based comedy-horror movies of the 1980s, this Kickstarter is for you.
Jerry Macaluso, Roy Knyrim, and a crew of monster makers are trying to fund a new film project that will speak to most kids of the 80s…
The movie will be based on puppets, practical effects, and old school monster suits – with very little CGI. If you’re sick to death of overdone CGI spectacles, this may be your ticket.
Practical effects is an art form — one that can take years to master — and with the benefit of my 15 years experience building practical effects,, it’s my pledge to do this film the way it would have been made in the ‘80s, using as little CGI as possible.
In fact, I designed, sculpted and painted ‘Chomperz’, the Popper you see in the video up top. Using Chomperz as a template, Roy Knyrim, Jake Corrick and our amazing team of artists will bring many more poppers to life.
Now, thats not to say we will not use any CGI. We will need digital fx to remove the rods and rigs required to operate the puppets and we may use CGI to make the Popperz eye effects (though we are currently experimenting with ways to do this live on-camera using miniature OLED screens.) But there will be NO digital creatures in this film.
The prototype puppet they show off on the KS page has me sold. It’s classic. This little guy would fit right on with the cast of Critters and Gremlins.
The plot sounds like great fun, and spot on for the genre. From director Jerry Macaluso:
The genesis of Portal Popperz began this past summer, during the Pokemon GO phenomenon.
As I saw these massive crowds catching virtual Rattatas, Zubats and Meowths, I couldn’t help but wonder…what if these creatures came to life, and weren’t very happy about constantly being captured?
It was an idea that refused to go away. No matter how much work I had to do, it kept fighting it’s way back to the surface, demanding my attention. And that’s when I realized it was the perfect concept for the kind of creature feature I’d been waiting for someone to make. So rather than suppress the thought until it faded away, I surrendered to it.
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The rewards include shirts, copies of the DVD/BVD releases, and hand painted mini-figs that will make you the envy of your officemates.
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