It’s been a while, and a few loyal and long time dedicated Matte Shot readers of foreign locales have been gently ‘prompting’ me to “pull finger”, and get some damned mattes and models onto the cyber-waves. It’s summer here, and household jobs, bits of carpentry and sundry unsavoury repairs – too numerous to mention – have held my attention of late, but they are pretty much done, so here we are.
Oh, and it’s probably worth noting, that it’s the fifteenth anniversary of NZ Pete’s Matte Shot, and a hell of a lot of movie magic has passed under the bridge in that time. I frequently wonder whether to keep it going after all those years, with those who appreciate and even understand this ‘old stuff’ dwindling in their numbers. Though, when some fascinating shots show up, or are brought to my attention, I feel I simply must share them with the (very) small brigade of like minded traditional effects fans.
I have always tried to make these epic posts as informative and detailed as possible – perhaps too much so…you tell me? These ‘articles’ won’t suit the flaky Tik-Tok and Facebook generations, who want to see a picture of a poodle or some inane ‘see what I’m eating for lunch’ rubbish. Give me a break!
So, with that said…as usual, I’ve put together a truly massive collection of traditional era magical trick shots – both painted and miniature – with a confident feel that many will be barely known to Matte Shot fans and quite a number completely fresh. There are some great flicks here, with a wide spectrum of visual tricks. I’ve got a very entertaining classic Ealing wartime picture that’s chock-filled with cool model work; some more lost Matthew Yuricich matte art; a popular Technicolor MGM bio-pic and a fantastic historic epic from that same studio; not one, but a pair of Japanese films from vastly different eras that couldn’t be more dis-similar if you tried. From the beautifully poetic on one hand, to the completely insane fx fest on the other. Also some more very rare old Columbia mattes from Larry Butler and, surprisingly, Russell Lawson, and also a heap of newly discovered old Warner Bros. Stage 5 fx out takes and miniature tests. Incredible stuff I assure you. So what else… well another entry into the ‘NZ Pete Official Hall of Matte Fame’; also an ingenious sample of trickery from a brilliant Spencer Tracy historic epic; some totally invisible Mike Pangrazio work done for a low budget video store rental from the 80’s. But wait….. there’s more…. literally so much more!…
…Read the Full Article @ Matte Shot
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.