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A Titan against a Titan! The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day features such a clash!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
Ray Harryhausen is the man, no ifs ands or buts about it. A living legend who somehow still feels underappreciated even though every major director and effects house worships him publicly, he just got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and there are untold massive books telling his life’s story and celebrating his creations.
Clash of the Titans was my personal gateway into the world of Harryhausen. Medusa and The Kraken led me to Ymir and the Cyclops.
So, I’m thrilled to post a shot of the master working on The Kraken for the original, significantly better, Clash of the Titans.
Enjoy!
Tomorrow’s Behind the Scenes Pic is a little green!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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Readers Talkback
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First?
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...running down the back of the Kracken's arms. It spolied the effect. It looked like it had just come out of the mold. They should've trimmed that way.
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Fuck CGI .... Fuck it hard.
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I know it was supposed to be fins or whatever.
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Quint, I know that you are in love with stop motion and old school ways of doing SFX but the original Clash is certainly no better than the remake; they both have massive flaws and both have supporting casts that should have known/been able to give better (however, despite being called wooden, Worthington is ten times the actor that Hamlin was, or is). It's okay to have childhood favourites, films that lead you on to to the wider, deeper world of film but you are a critic/reviewer and you should be able to show some objectivity. For all it's faults, hopefully to be addressed in the sequel, the remake of Clash is a much better made film than the first effort and your infatuation with all things Harryhausen should not be allowed the get in the way of that "fact".
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Harryhausen's book "An Animated Life". Can't recommend it enough to anyone who digs stop motion animation and old school movie magic.
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"CGI is a marvelous tool, but it's been touted as the only means of expression, which I think is a load of hogwash. After all, the end [goal] is to entertain and you have to choose the right technique for the kind of story you're telling, but if you forget that there is a story, all that you end up with is a series of special effects. "
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Fuck off you cretin .... The original SHITS all over the piece of crap remake. Fucking CGI generation have arrived already.
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No one complains about the CGI in Transformers 2. It's the script that's always the most important thing.
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Harryhausen has been the biggest influence upon me. His work has inspired me to persue my own creative ambitions and he never fails to inspire. I have all of his books and they are incredible. His History of Stop Motion animation book is one that I read a lot as it interviews many other great animators including Phill Tippett, Randy Cook and Jim Danforth. I met Harryhausen once and got him to sign my copy of his Film Fantasy Scrapbook. He said he'd not seen one of them for a long time. He was really nice and it was the best day of my life, getting to meet my hero. I'll take model animation, latex, puppets and animatronics over CGI any time. I was watching Rango recently and as nice as the CGI is in it, all I kept thinking was how much greater it would have been if it had all been done with puppets like The Dark Crystal.
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have we started over?
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rubber and obvious miniature scaling. Love harryhausen but you anti- digital guys are funny. When was the last stop motion effects movie or puppet movie? I agree that there should be more but not really. I mean it would just have to get cleaned up digitally anyway. You saw the animated sequence in the latest Harry potter? Yeah well that's the best fucking thing ever made right there and it was digital. Game over puppet boys
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http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45720
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Specifically Kermit?
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March 13, 2011, 6:24 a.m. CST
Ah, the proper CLASH OF THE TITANS movie, not the fakery we got recently.
by AsimovLives
Nice!
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March 13, 2011, 6:28 a.m. CST
ultratron, i would be less critical of CGI if they weren't so prevalent. And CGI still looks artificial and fake for the most part.
by AsimovLives
The ballance now is to tipped for CGI it's not evne funny. Small wonder people are reacting against it so vehermently. There's no ballance.
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It's the prototype of today's shallow blockbuster, that sacrifies good acting or a script that makes any kind of sense for a load of spectacular FX shots. The photo is cool though. Harryhausen is rightfully a legend.
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well I'm 50 plus years so I've been watching films pre the advent of CGI and my argument has nothing to do with that anyway, really; I'm merely commenting that the Clash remake is a better made film than the original, which is pretty much of a turkey outside of Harryhausen's outstanding work. On EVERY other level Letterier's film is superior. Now I'm not saying that that makes it a good film, just better than the original POS.
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The ballance now is to tipped for colour film it's not evne funny. Small wonder people are reacting against it so vehermently. There's no ballance.
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The ballance now is to tipped for Dolby Sound it's not evne funny. Small wonder people are reacting against it so vehermently. There's no ballance.
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Stop being a fucking smart ass ....
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March 13, 2011, 7:42 a.m. CST
No Ballance, kinda like when Porn went HD-DVD and they thought the format war was over. It never began as there was no Ballance.
by Larrylongballs
Ballance my Assance, there will be some poundance.
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was to be a kid when you first saw it. I was nearly wenty years old when it first came out and aside from the Harryhausen's stuff the film was more than dissapointing. I cheered when the stupid R2D2 inpired owl Bubos was hurt and shook my head with disbelief when they showed it at the end bandaged and with a crutch! Maybe if I was ten I would have loved it. I have not seen the remake so I can't comment on it.
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If it's overused. It'll be a sad day when practical effects are buried forever. Where's the artistry in crafting a movie with a piece of computer software? As long as it's done well, I'll take rubber and puppets every single time.
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It had its fair share of shit. It's far from ever being called a classic in terms of the whole but rightfully so when mentioning Harryhausen's work on it specifically. I first saw it when I was 10, so I'll always have the lingering nostalgia hard-on for it but even now, 20 years later I have to admit that some stuff like the acting (even Olivier, woefully cast in the right role but not really delivering the goods) and stitched together "my first Mythology"-styled plot are just bad. That said, I haven't seen the remake, so I won't go so far as to make comparison toward it outshining the predecessor in those areas.
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Where's the artistry? How about the hundreds of talented people working on it all over the world? How about all the stuff that's so well-crafted no-one knows it's even there? How about all the times CGI has to fix the shiity-looking animatronics, latex puppets and prosthetics? (if you're wondering, it's every single time these days) A combination of practical and CG is the best way to do creatures. It's just a shame no-one in Hollywood seems to have figured that out except del Toro.
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March 13, 2011, 9:13 a.m. CST
The script IS the most important thing. But not the ONLY important thing.
by Wacky Packages
Weak stop-motion animation is more visually satisfying than weak cgi.
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no. And see what ingeld wrote; he's hit the nail on the head and what he describes is the exact reason whi I was calling on Quint to be more objective .
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March 13, 2011, 9:41 a.m. CST
The title for this talkback should had been "A Titan fathers a Titan". More apt.
by AsimovLives
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March 13, 2011, 9:43 a.m. CST
mitch2, hacve you ever heard Ebert coment about the lack of black and white movies today?
by AsimovLives
The ddue says that if there had to chose between what movies to perseve, colour or blakc and white he would go with black and white in an heartbeat and would never regreat the choice. I almost understand exactly why he says so.
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March 13, 2011, 9:44 a.m. CST
I highly recommend The Art of Ray Harryhausen. Part gallery, part bio. Awesome book.
by Mr Nicholas
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I only saw the original CLASH OF THE TITANS last year, in my current age of 39, and i tell you i found it far more enjoyable then the recent remake. The original is goofy, but the new one is retard.
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March 13, 2011, 9:52 a.m. CST
The thing that always makes me laugh in both CLASH OF THE TITANS movies is why they call the sea monster "kraken", when the greek mythology sea creature was called "Cetus".
by AsimovLives
The word "cetacea" that describes aniamls like whales, dolphisn and orcas, came form the greek mytholgical sea monster Cetus. In the original greek myth, it's Cetus who almost eat Andromedra and is slayed by Perseus thanks to the Medusas's head (SPOILER). So why is it that the original used the nordic viking myth creature kraken instead? And why did the recent remake keep on it as well? Are the nordic gods out-sourcing their sea mosnters to the greek gods? And what does Cetus says on the matter? He must not be too happy with his unemployment.
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He is rather elderly now and old people don't always think as clearly as when they were younger. He probaby felt appreciated in the past.
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I echo your feelings on Titans 100%.
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Well, I guess the first one can be enjoyed in a goofy way, but I will take your word about the second one. I have no interest in seeing it.
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I grew up on stop motion. It is a fantastic tool. So is CGI. As a kid, you tend to use your imagination better, block out the seams of the creatures, the fingerprints on King Kong when he moves....etc. Good stop motion looks great, but the problem was when they interacted with live actors, the contrast and color schemes never matched that well. You just have to accept that so it doesn't take you out of the film. CGI can have the same problem, but it is better with that problem, plus they can use certain lighting techniques, camera angles and movements, and effects like smoke or fog to mask it better.
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Is probably because Kraken sounds better (shrugs shoulders). Both were sea monsters, but Kraken has the better name (let's not bring up the fact that the Kraken was also a giant octopus as well, which is probably why the Kraken had 4 semi-tenicular arms). <p> And in regards to the above critiques of the original CLASH, I understand where you're coming from. It DID matter to see it as a kid... even though at 12, I already was becoming aware of how more modern FX were better than the stuff I grew up on in the 70's (such as the SINBAD movies). <p> For as much as I "like" CLASH, it was dated as soon as it came out. No disrespect to Harryhausen, but unlike Dave Bowie, he refused to adapt and the times left him behind. With that said, I can still watch it and enjoy it just a a movie, even without the nostalgia goggles (first time seeing naked women in PG movie that was PG because of nudity and near R-rated violence, as opposed to cursing and drug use? Check!). Frankly, the story and the acting is pretty good... if you ever read the original translated myths, they were in essence short stories, and CLASH was a form of anthology tied together with a prime story. I never felt as if anyone was bored or overacting; the story flowed and never felt choppy or scenes were missing; no one was "modernized", acting as if they were from the 1980s and I really wanted Perseus to rescue Andromeda. <p> So really guys? The story is no weaker than GOLDEN VOYAGE, and definitely more put together than 7TH VOYAGE or any number of the EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCER types, which I still love for what they are (as well as the kid memories). <p> Let's face it: if the movie as any weak points, it is the FX and underuse of the final monster. Maybe some of the city soldiers could have fought the Kraken a bit to give it more to do, or it could have picked up Andromeda, ready to eat her, then Perseus throws his sword into its eye and he catches her after the Kraken drops her (you get the point... the Kraken is kinda underutilized). Even so, it would be interesting if someone was to do a FINAL CUT or CLASH:REVISITED and replace the stop-motion with CGI (or just clean up the bad matte lines)...
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There may be some 7TH VOYAGE love out there, and while I do like the movie (again, nostalgia glasses are in full power with this movie), at least with GOLDEN VOYAGE and EYE OF THE TIGER they at least attempted at making Sinbad "look" Arabian (and didn't have that stupid annoying kid plucked out of some LEAVE IT TO BEAVER 50's sitcom).
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because it's not about one being better than the other. It's about realizing the strengths and limitations of each and using them when they fit the story.
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"Where's the artistry in crafting a movie with a piece of computer software?" You, sir, and many like you who complain of CGI have clearly never used 3D animation software. The amount of blood sweat and tears that go into good (or even bad) CGI is almost unfathomable to those who have not experienced doing it. Like any art form, it is how it is used that counts. I love practical effects work, and think it certainly has a place in movie making, as does CGI. Someone said above that CGI all still looks artificial and fake. Part of the issue is that it is artificial and fake. That you can ever suspend your disbelief and accept you are seeing a real flying dragon, etc., is more and more unlikely as we see more and more amazing creations and know more and more about how they are created. However, if you were around to see Jurassic Park in the theatre you may rember what it felt like for the first time to see fully realized, realistic CGI creations on the screen. It was nothing short of stunning. We are so jaded these days...
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not that Hollywood will even learn.
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all the nostalgia fanboys where yelling how much better the original is,and guess what: it wasnt.
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That opening scene with the Tauntaun in stop motion. Rips me right out of the picture every time. It just looks so fake, it's one of the few cases where I feel replacing it with a smoother CGI version wouldn't be such a bad thing. Even at 15 when I saw it in the theater I felt it could have been done better. Thankfully the rest of ESB was so good, I didn't care.
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But 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD rules them all, even JASON. Harryhausen is a legend, and deservedly so.
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"Release the Cetus!" just doesn't snap.
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His style has captivated me since I was a small child. I absolutely can't get enough of it.
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March 13, 2011, 3:05 p.m. CST
I appreciate all the hard work that goes into CGI...
by Dr. Egon Spengler
There's just something about practical effects that feels more organic. Maybe I am too jaded.
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Those creatures felt more real than anything CGI can creature. I do enjoy a blend of the two though. Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 were good examples of this.
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March 13, 2011, 3:20 p.m. CST
The behind the scene pic of the day hides the fact AICN has no new news! lol
by Arkhaminmate001
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It's fucking CG. COMPUTER GENERATED. No one in the business calls it CGI anymore. Get with the god damn times, cavemen. You sound like a butthead when you say it wrong.
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Everything is a COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGE. There's not a movie on the planet that's not run through a computer. So don't give me the "omg its cgi because theyre computer generated images".....the people who work in the industry call it CG. They dont call it CGI. Why the fuck cant you douchebags get with the times?
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Why is it that just because you love the artistry and the craft that go into practical effects mean that all CG is garbage? There's some amazing CG out there...and some amazing practical effects. There's some terrible CG and terrible practicle stuff. It's not what you use...it's how you use it.
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cgi is used for posters,magazines,digital photography,etc
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Like, it could mean, chicken gizzards or something.
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Smoke crack much? I mean visually, it was made with better cameras and had cgi. But it was utterly soulless. I didn't care one iota about anyone in the film. It was just a bunch of images, in sequence, with sound. I was glad when it was over. Sam Worthington needs to stop making movies, he seems utterly incapable of connecting with his characters, or any other human beings for that matter. Giving a stern look towards the horizon seems to be his one and only acting skill.
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March 13, 2011, 5:13 p.m. CST
after we're done talking about how shitty Ray Harryhausen is
by smackfu
can we shift the focus to what a shitty fucking hack Stan Winston is? Just cause, you know...it's shit on artistic genius day.
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It was pretty sweet, but the tail wouldn't stay on very well.
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takes Stan Winston's hint from 'Iron Man' and uses CGI to clean up physical effects. For my money, the first Medusa was much more terrifying, and the Temple creepier. But watching the sequences side-by-side it's amazing how ssslowww the action is in the 1981 COtT. I'm expecting Wrath will be quite a bit better in CGI and 3d effects.
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I made no cmoment about the "soul" of either of the Clash films (my opinion, if you want one, is that they are equally without merit in that area); I commented only on the expertise in the making of the films and I stand by, Harryhausen aside, that Letterier's film is the better made of the two. It is better acted and technically superior to that piece of crud which is famous- and lingers in the minds of those, like Quint, who are still ten years old- only because of the effects work which looks shoddy by today's standards. Letterier's film also stuck two fingers up to that stupid clockwork owl which is no bad thing, in my opinion. I suppose you also prefer the Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man to that of Maguire's.
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But Clash of the Titans is one of his weakest films. The only really good sequence in the film is the encounter with Medusa. Jason and the Argonauts is a million times better than Clash.
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... we saw it as kids & loved it. Our parents who weren't bitter, douche-bag trolls thought it was dumb but kept it to themselves.
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Because I recognized it for what it was when I saw it. The smoothest and most sophisticated stop motion ever seen up to that point in history. Turns out it was go motion with computer controlled leg movement. A new fucking invention just for you to hate. But you hated it because you hated all sinbad and harryhausen movies and king kong and just everything that had ever come before empire including the hologram chess table from starwars- admit it!!! You hated it all!
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...are the limitations of the filmmaking technology of the time. Its a imaginative wonderful film. Lighthearted kids fun, without being stupid, like so many films today. Anyone who compares the two is blind.
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Then U can't possibly be a child at heart!
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It never got old for him. I still have the nightmares.
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Everyone talks about the Kraken, but the toughest battle in the movie was with Medusa. Once you're wielding a Gorgon's head you're pretty much unstoppable... that's why the Kraken battle was five minutes long at the most. Everything from the design to the ancient ruins of Medusa's lair always gave me a strong Lovecraft vibe. She's possibly the coolest enemy the Greeks ever came up with, her and the Hydra.
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Wonderful. Share a website with you , put this url in google sirch (http://www.chic-goods.com/ ) Believe you will love it. We accept any form of payment.
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....you'd probably get along w my friend who 'never' liked E.T. . . .
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Is the best example of practical and CGI effects to this day. Still one of my faves.
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"I'm expecting Wrath [of the Titans] will be quite a bit better in CGI and 3d effects" Well, after CLASH OF THE TITANS, the only way is up.
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"I'm expecting Wrath [of the Titans] will be quite a bit better in CGI and 3d effects" "Well, after CLASH OF THE TITANS, the only way is up. ". certainly is after that 1981 POS.
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Had the pleasure of meeting him back in 2001 at an animation conference at university where he was the key speaker. Gave an great talk about his career and even bought a handful of models in that were a strictly 'look but dont touch' moment, lol.
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..of having him sign his biography a few years ago at an event. I thought the signing procedures had begun early when I saw a line form, but it turned out to be an impromptu session (had I known, I would have waited for the official moment, after the screening of Jason and the Argonauts). Nevertheless, Mr. Harryhausen was extremely gracious in according everybody a moment to write his name and chat a bit. I'm usually not impressed by most celebrities, but I actually was awestruck when my turn came. I told him "You know, you are responsible for a lot of my childhood dreams" to which he responded "Not too much nightmares, I hope" with a twinkle in his eye. A true artist, in more ways than one, and a true gentleman. This is the only autograph I asked in my life.
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The remake wasn't perfect, but it's miles better then the cheese that is the original. Fucking can't stand stop motion. I mean it was great, when I was 11. But it has not aged well.
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March 15, 2011, 11:34 a.m. CST
God, I've seen this picture in a million monster mags
by Jack Desmondi
and I bet everyone else has also. If you can't post a real unposed, candid behind the scenes shot why post anything at all??? Oh and this movie DID suck. Boring and Ray's animation was not up to his ealier standards.
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I recall seeing it in the theater and loved it and let us not forget PG nudity
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March 15, 2011, 5:53 p.m. CST
"Where's the artistry in crafting a movie with a piece of computer software?"
by eXcommunicated
Did you just have a brain tumor for breakfast? What a dumbass thing to say.
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The Oscar-nominated films "Fantastic Mr Fox" and "Coraline" spring to mind.
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You only hate the CG you notice, which is about 10% of it. I recently entered the business, and most of you would be floored by what is CG in movies and on TV today. I was.
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