Has anyone seen this movie that just came out? The Previews look really cool and as you know, I am a SciFi freak. I plan on seeing it as soon as I can but wanted to get opinions from anyone who has seen it. WINTER IS OVER AND SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!
Registered Member #2392 Joined: Wed Feb 09 2011, 07:23PM : Posts: 1895
Screenplay
Director John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon wrote the screenplay. Six years later, the basic "Beachball with Claws" subplot of the film was reworked from comedy to horror, and became the basis (along with an unpublished story about gremlins aboard a B-52) for the O'Bannon-scripted science fiction horror classic, Alien.[1]
[edit] Filming
Working on an estimated $60,000 budget,[2] Carpenter and O'Bannon had to make production design from scratch. In the "elevator" sequence the bottom of the elevator is actually rolling on the floor. The device used to roll the elevator base was actually a Moviola camera dolly normally used on the small sound stage in the old USC Cinema building (itself once a horse stable). The steering end of the dolly can be seen as part of the "elevator" underside. Talby's starsuit backpack is made from Styrofoam packing material - probably from a TV set - and his spacesuit chestplate is made from a muffin tray. The double rows of large buttons on the bridge consoles are ice cube trays illuminated from beneath. Sergeant Pinback's video diary is an 8-track tape and the machine he uses to read it and record it is a microfiche reader.[3] O'Bannon also starred in the film in the role of Sgt. Pinback.
[edit] Special effects
The special effects in the movie were done by Dan O'Bannon, ship design by Ron Cobb, model work by O'Bannon and Greg Jein, and animation was by Bob Greenberg.[citation needed]
The bombs are made from an HO scale piggyback trailer kit and parts of 1/25th scale model car kits; "Matra", the name of the car brand, can be seen on some parts in some shots. The space suits are made to resemble the space suit of the Mattel action figure "Major Matt Mason", which was used in slightly modified form as a miniature for effects shots. Cobb drew the original design for the "Dark Star" ship on a napkin while they were eating at the International House of Pancakes.[3]
BATTLE LA
