Hi friends… it’s autumn here now and the season is turning a different colour ‘down under’ (sounds like something a medic should promptly look into?) As such, it appears that it is that time again for another vast and fulfilling exploration of all things traditional matte, miniature and optical – done the ‘old fashioned way’ by eye, hand, instinct, and sometimes sheer seat of the pants ingenuity to sell a shot.
As always, I have a treasure trove of material to share – much of which I’m certain will be fresh to many, if not all of my readers. We have an astonishingly broad range of motion pictures here in need of celebration – of various vintages – as well as some hidden away gems that came my way a while back from the family of esteemed matte artist Matthew Yuricich.
So what’s on the roll call today? Well, I have a newly discovered Albert Whitlock matte from one of his non-Universal assignments that nobody was aware of; Some rarely seen clips from an early nineties tv doco on the craft of matte painting; The huge effects laden apirition filled 80’s Ivan Reitman hit which spawned a score of reboots; A truly spectacular MGM water-ballet musical; A fun 70’s dino-adventure flick that’s true to my heart; A Mel Brooks monochromatic spoof; A cheezy Canadian made Lee Majors end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it show; A Christmas comedy, albeit four months too late; A made-for-tv disaster movie…
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A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX
This blog is intended primarily as a tribute to the inventiveness and ingenuity of the craft of the matte painter during Hollywoods’ Golden Era. Some of the shots will amaze in their grandeur and epic quality while others will surprise in their ‘invisibility’ to even the sophisticated viewer. I hope this collection will serve as an appreciation of the artform and both casual visitors and those with a specialist interest may benefit, enjoy and be amazed at skills largely unknown today.