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Look, I know I called Orca a Jaws ripoff and that’s a tad derogatory. I didn’t mean to make it a pejorative, but that’s in essence what nearly every animal attack movie is post Jaws isn’t it? Well yes and no. One of my favorite YouTube channels is Movie Dumpster, and they recently covered The Dunwich Horror. They went into the difference between a cash-in and a ripoff. Go watch their videos as it’s always great stuff but anyway, they are right. Orca isn’t a ripoff necessarily even if it was designed to go after Jaws‘ popularity and box office. Cruel Jaws out of Italy is 100% a ripoff but Orca, and today’s movie Piranha, are much more cash-ins where it doesn’t have to be the same animal at all or even the same story but the advertising and makes audiences want to...

Shudder shared a first look at its new, unscripted horror-based competition series “Guts & Glory” at San Diego Comic-Con. The show will premiere Sept. 9 on the platform and AMC+ with its first two episodes, with new episodes set to release on Tuesdays.

The six-episode series, which comes from award-winning special effects artist and executive producer Greg Nicotero, flips the script on the traditional competition show – thrusting players into an immersive

horror experience full of unexpected challenges, where they are confronted with their fears in various scenarios.

In addition to Nicotero, who serves as showrunner, the series’ executive producers include Brian Witten from Monster Agency Productions, Chris Wagner from White Label, and Andrew Molina from Salaryman. Jeffrey F. January serves as co-executive producer, while AMC Studios produces.

Executive Producer Greg Nicotero in “Guts & Glory.” (Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC) Bradi, Josh, Brian, Dujuan, Kolbie, Lucien, Makayla, Alexis in “Guts & Glory.” (Curtis Bonds Baker...

Before Kevin Feige’s Marvel multiverse, before blue Na’vi forests or digitally de-aged heroes, George Lucas had the Star Wars team making movie magic the old-fashioned way, with puppets, miniatures, matte paintings, and costumes that looked like they’d lived through galactic wars.

Now, nearly five decades later, those practical effects, praised by the American Society of Cinematographers, still hold up better than most CGI.

Back in 1977, Lucas didn’t just launch a franchise. He rewrote the rules of movie-making. Star Wars: A New Hope merged dogfight-inspired model battles, complex costume design, and groundbreaking practical effects into a cinematic experience that was arguably more immersive than any prior film.

My mom still talks about how incredible it was to “fly” onto Tatooine and see the twin suns for the first time during Star Wars’ initial theatrical run.

The Cantina scene alone featured dozens of alien species brought to life through latex masks,...

July is here, and in between all the fireworks and swimming and running from the heat, there’s ample time to sit back, relax and watch a great movie. While it can be daunting to figure out what to watch on your favorite streaming service, we’ve created a curated selection of some of the best new movies streaming this month on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Max, Disney+ and beyond. There’s plenty of new releases hitting streaming this month, like the Michael B. Jordan hit “Sinners” and Jenna Ortega’s “Death of a Unicorn,” alongside streaming originals starring Adam Sandler, John Cena and more.

Check out our picks for the top new movies streaming right now below.

“Licorice Pizza” Cooper Hoffman in “Licorice Pizza” (MGM)

Netflix – July 1

As we barrel towards the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest provocation “One Battle After Another,” why not take a moment to revisit his last movie,...

This article contains spoilers for "Jurassic World Rebirth."

Plenty of filmmakers have been able to leave their unique stamp on all number of movie monsters, but few have held as much of a stronghold on a singular creature than Steven Spielberg with dinosaurs. 1993's "Jurassic Park" built upon the previous incarnations of these prehistoric beasts in films like Harry O. Hoyt's "The Lost World," "King Kong" and "One Million Years B.C" by way of technological wizardry we're still attempting to recapture. The mix of practical effects and innovative leaps in computer-generated imagery helped establish a world in which dinosaurs were these beautiful, terrifying, and, most importantly, tangible creatures. It was as if Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and the talented folks at Ilm plucked these extinct forces of nature from out of time.

As far as Universal was concerned, they essentially held claim to the definitive screen dinosaurs that every...

This week sees the release of Jurassic World: Rebirth, and it seems like it’s being met with a bit of a shrug from fans, even if it’s still going to make a solid amount of cash—these movies always do. Jurassic Park has become a franchise for Universal, and a profitable one at that. Yet, none of the films have had the magic the first one did. But what magic was that? I’m glad you asked.

You see, younger audiences may not appreciate it now, but Jurassic Park gave us Dinosaurs. The new Jurassic World movies are full of CGI dinosaurs, but we had never seen them convincingly portrayed on the big screen before. At best, we’d seen—admittedly impressive—stop-motion versions such as those made by Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen, but Spielberg’s Jurassic Park truly brought them to life in a way no one could have ever imagined.

We all talk about the seismic impact Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" had in shaping the quintessential summer blockbuster, but even greater was the renewed interest it generated in the creature feature. Everyone wanted to cash in on the killer animal movie craze after "Jaws," with films like "Orca: The Killer Whale," "Grizzly" and "Alligator" arriving in its wake. The issue was that plenty of producers wanted to hop aboard the bandwagon and make their own hit, yet "Jaws" was itself the rare combination of B-movie thrills and top-tier filmmaking, and it remains the gold standard. With that said, however, there's still a considerable amount of craft on display in the aforementioned movies. Then there were filmmakers like Joe Dante, who had the right idea and didn't even attempt to recapture the same prestige, instead leaning in a much more humorous direction with his efforts on 1978's "Piranha."

With the aid...

Scream Factory is releasing limited edition SteelBook 4K Uhd + Blu-ray editions of RoboCop 2, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Prince of Darkness, and Ghosts of Mars exclusively through Amazon.

RoboCop 2 will be released on July 15.

The 1990 sci-fi action sequel is directed by Irvin Kershner (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back) and written by comic book legend Frank Miller (The Dark Knight Returns) and Walon Green (Eraser).

Peter Weller returns to star with Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Tom Noonan, Belinda Bauer, and Gabriel Damon.

Disc 1 – 4K Uhd:

4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative In Dolby Vision (Hdr-10 Compatible) Audio: DTS-hd Master Audio 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo Audio Commentary With Author/CG Supervisor Paul M. Sammon Audio Commentary With The Makers Of “RoboDoc: The Creation Of RoboCop” Documentary – Gary Smart, Chris Griffiths And Eastwood Allen

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative Audio: DTS-hd Master Audio 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo Audio...

If you're a filmmaker in 1993 having one of the best years in your entire career, then congratulations, because your name must be Steven Spielberg. On top of winning over seven Academy Awards for the highly acclaimed WWII historical drama "Schindler's List," Spielberg was also one of many faces behind adapting Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" for the big screen. The film not only won three Oscars in the very same ceremony, but it also cemented itself as the pinnacle of CGI wizardry that visual effects artists still look up to. Of course, Spielberg was already a Hollywood staple at this point, having previously pioneered the modern blockbuster as we know it with 1975's "Jaws." All the same, the filmmaker was about to show audiences something they had never seen before, much like Richard Attenborough's ambitious dinosaur mogul John Hammond.

"Jurassic Park" simply doesn't happen without VFX artists Dennis Muren,...

One of the biggest flops of the 1980s is getting a feature-length documentary. Back in 1986, Howard the Duck was such a box office disaster that it might have cost Universal production head Frank Price his job, and it single-handedly dispelled the notion that George Lucas was infallible as far as his projects went. On a massive budget of over $30 million (the same amount Return of the Jedi cost), the movie only grossed $38 million worldwide, and swept the year’s Razzies. Yet, it has an essential place in the pop culture as the first theatrical adaptation of a Marvel Comics character ever to hit the big screen, and it remains a nostalgic favourite of many folks who grew up in the era (including the writer of this article).

Now, Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired Howard the Doc or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb, a feature-length deep...

Long before the MCU was raking in billions and telling large, interconnected stories with beloved characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Captain America, there was Howard the Duck. Marvel's first theatrical feature film, which tried to capitalize on the success of the wisecracking, womanizing anthropomorphic duck, was a legendary disaster that had the comic book giant reeling for over a decade from its failure. For as plagued with controversy, contractual disputes, and odd creative choices as it is, though, its tale is fascinating. A new documentary titled Howard the Doc (Or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb) now looks to tell that story for the first time in film form. Collider can exclusively share that Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired the project and will release it in theaters this fall, followed by a physical and streaming release.

Howard the Doc takes viewers on a deep dive...

Pure aesthetics are the main selling point of The Midnight Walk, a first-person “narrative adventure” horror game from developer MoonHood. And if those aesthetics are decidedly familiar, they’re an effusive tribute to the well-loved gothic stylings of Henry Selick and Phil Tippett, with every in-game object scanned from handcrafted sculptures to emulate the spindly, spooky character designs and expressionist dioramas of the stop-motion masters.

The results are visually striking, as in the wrinkles that bulge and sag off of pallid cartoon skin in the game’s whimsically morbid cast of hollow-eyed skeletal puppets and mummy-faced arachnoid ghouls. Rustic wooden villages flicker in candlelight, bordered by warped triangular evergreens and silhouetted hills, while found objects sport faded colors beneath layers of dust. Canned animations have a frame stutter emulating the jerky handmade movements of stop-motion film.

In the game, players assume the role of the Burnt One, a nameless, faceless...

"What do you mean there are living creatures here?" What in the?! A second trailer has been unveiled for an indie stop-motion animation movie called Junk World, the next film in a trilogy set around the Junk Head universe. Junk World is the new film from filmmaker Takahide Hori, following his first film Junk Head in 2017, about a world where weird cloned humanoid-esque creations live underground. Four years have passed since Junk Head sent the world into a frenzy. Junk World, which depicts the world 1042 years before, invites you once again into an unknown adventure. This funky fun film will hit Japanese theaters in June, though we have no idea when it'll show up anywhere else yet. The film features stop-motion animated puppets and strange creatures galore. Similar to the craziness seen in Phil Tippett's Mad God (2021). This new trailer (here's the other one) focuses more on the story,...

If you’re hoping The Mandalorian and Grogu will bring that old-school Star Wars magic to the big screen, Jon Favreau has you covered — with help from a legend. Speaking to Collider’s Steve Weintraub at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan, Favreau confirmed that the upcoming film taps into the visual effects legacy of the franchise by working with stop-motion pioneer Phil Tippett, whose fingerprints are all over the original trilogy. Anybody for a round of Dejarik in tribute?

While The Mandalorian series has already pushed the envelope in virtual production with its groundbreaking use of the Volume, Favreau said the leap to a theatrical feature allowed for a broader range of techniques, from digital effects that will blow your mind to incredible handcrafted effects. Collaborating with Tippett, whose work includes the At-ATs in The Empire Strikes Back and the rancor in Return of the Jedi, is part of the...

Light & Magic season 2 will continue the Industrial Light & Magic (Ilm) story, when it returns to Disney+ in April 2025. More here.

Appreciating there’s a fair amount of frustration about streaming services around at the moment, there are still some real highlights. For film nerds, I can’t think of too many better shows than Light & Magic, the 2022 documentary series which charted not just the rise of visual effects studio Industrial Light & Magic (Ilm), but in tandem the Star Wars saga, George Lucas, Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg and more besides.

The series ended in 1993 as Jurassic Park came in, and digital effects began to take over from miniatures and motion control. Now, it’s been revealed that a second season of Light & Magic is arriving next month, which will continue the story through the rest of the 1990s and 2000s.

Like the first season, it’ll be a Disney+ production,...

Steven Spielberg is one of the most legendary filmmakers of all time, having given blockbusters across several decades. One of the most beloved films in Spielberg’s filmography is the 1993 sci-fi film Jurassic Park, which was a major box office success and spawned a franchise that is still going strong even today.

A still from the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park (Credit: Universal Pictures).

The film gave viewers one of the most realistic looks at dinosaurs and captivated audiences with its stunning visual effects. While the film proved to be a landmark in terms of advancing CGI, the filmmaker’s original plans involved heavy use of practical effects. As a result, the film would’ve turned out even more terrifying, and here is why that did not happen.

Steven Spielberg replaced plans to use practical effects for Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg directed 1993’s Jurassic Park, one of the biggest blockbusters of its time,...

The return of Junk Head! Get a look at this peculiar new creation from Japan. An official trailer has debuted for an indie stop-motion animation movie called Junk World, the second in a new trilogy set around the Junk Head universe. Junk World is the second film from filmmaker Takahide Hori, following his first feature Junk Head in 2017, about a world where weird cloned humanoid-esque creations live underground. Four years have passed since Junk Head sent the world into a frenzy. Junk World, which depicts the world 1042 years before, invites you once again into an unknown adventure. This film will hit Japanese theaters in June, though we have no idea when it'll show up elsewhere around the world. The film features stop-motion animated puppets and creatures galore, various weird designs and strange characters aplenty. It reminds me of the beautiful insanity that is Phil Tippett's Mad God (2021), also a unique stop-motion creation.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's newest extraterrestrial antagonist carried many references on its back, literally.

In a new behind-the-scenes video on X, Tippett Studio's Art Director and Fabrication Supervisor Mark Dubeau broke down the process of creating the giant trash crab Tet'niss that Wim and Kb encounter on the planet Lanupa. As he recalled, Lucasfilm vice president Doug Chiang "basically said to me like, 'Okay, it's a giant kind of crab monster, it puts stuff on its back.' I really wanted to make sure that when we were putting the junk on it, it wasn't just random stuff. I actually tried to use as many little bits from model kits that were used on the original films." These included miniature models of R2-D2, C-3Po, and K-2So, additionally revealing that the crab was brought to life using stop-motion reminiscent of Phil Tippett's work on the original Star Wars trilogy.

Episode 6 of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is now streaming on Disney+ and sees the introduction of a new trash monster dubbed Tet’niss. A practical model of the crab-like creature created by Og Star Wars associates Tippett Studios contains several Easter eggs from the previous movies that fans will find very interesting.

Skeleton Crew co-creators Jon Watts and Chris Ford tapped Tippett Studios to fashion the practical models in the new series. The effects house was founded by Star Wars legend Phil Tippett and responsible for creating the iconic Rancor in Return of the Jedi and the At-at walkers in The Empire Strikes Back. A return to practical models — a fitting aesthetic for the retro Skeleton Crew — has fans excited.

Among the new monsters is Tet’niss, a clever moniker for a creature that builds its shell with sharp and rusty refuse. But calling its components trash is a tongue-in-cheek...

Exclusive: Veteran VFX executive Christina Wise has joined Tippett Studio, the animation and visual effects production company of Oscar-winning filmmaker Phil Tippett, as Vice President of Business Development.

Reporting to Tippett CEO Gary Mundell, Wise’s duties will include feature film development and production for the studio, as well as visual effects production, virtual stage workflow, and new media business development.

Wise is a production executive with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment field, spanning theatre, public relations, live events, business development, feature film production, and visual effects. She began her career in live entertainment at Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas as a production assistant on Mystère at Treasure Island. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked on the client side as production executive for Warp Films and New Regency on Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Jumper. The latter film sparked an interest in visual effects, which led...

The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2, now streaming on Disney+.

Star Wars is in a difficult place right now, and the franchise is in desperate need of a win. The fanbase is divided and a lot of pressure has been put on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the saga's newest series, to deliver in a big way. Fortunately, fans can breathe easy since it seems like Skeleton Crew is set to deliver a wholesome, old-fashioned pirate-style adventure. From fantastic costumes to delightful characters, Skeleton Crew aims to take fans back to their childhoods and on the ultimate Star Wars adventure.

Skeleton Crew focuses on a group of children — Wim, Neel, Fern, and Kb — as they embark on an unexpected adventure across the galaxy. With the help of Nick Frost's incredible droid character, Sm-33, the children of At Attin will certainly find far more than they...

Here at JoBlo Horror Originals we talk a lot about gateway horror films. Depending on the generation you belong to, that can be a few different things. Kids of the 70s will always have Jaws as an introduction to horror and that movie is still a great way to introduce newer generations to the genre after almost 50 years. Two of my favorites from the 80’s, and two films that both my sons have seen, are The Gate and The Monster Squad. Again, both great and both still hold up as not only fun horror flicks but great ways to ease in the younger crowd. As a kid born in 1985, I am much more a child of the 90s so even if you hadn’t read the title of the video you clicked, you could probably guess that I saw Jurassic Park in theaters, it scared and enthralled me and made me want more.

In this series exploring the history of the Star Wars franchise, we couldn’t skip over the fascinating backstory of the Emperor, whose real name, Sheev Palpatine, was revealed later, though fans know him best as Darth Sidious.

First introduced as the shadowy mastermind behind Darth Vader and the Empire in the Original Trilogy, his character received further depth and background in the Prequels.

While Ian McDiarmid is now synonymous with the role, he wasn’t the original Emperor. Several performers brought the character to life before McDiarmid’s portrayal was retroactively added to earlier films for continuity.

This article dives into the unique story behind the original Emperor—played by an actress in his first on-screen appearance. It’s a story that uncovers a surprising link between Star Wars and monkeys, building on our recent piece about Yoda, who was nearly played by one!

The Emperor’s story remains...

2014’s Boyhood took 12 years to make. Some of these films make Boyhood look like an episode of South Park.

14 ‘Kill It and Leave This Town’: 14 Years

Polish animator Mariusz Wilczyński set out to make a short animated film about a person whose entire family dies, so they run off to a land of memories where time doesn’t exist and everyone is alive. At some point, Wilczyński decided it should actually become a feature length psychological horror, which took just a smidge longer to animate.

13 ‘The Evil Within’: 15 Years

Writer/director Andrew Getty self-financed this horror film, which was based on his childhood nightmares, for about $6 million. He filmed his deepest fears inside his own mansion, toiled away for years on special effects, and died before he could finish. The producer had to do the final editing to get it across the finish line.

12 ‘Pakeezah’: 16 Years

The...

R2-D2 is one of the most famous droids in Star Wars, but his name has a much less famous origin story. R2-D2, or as he's affectionately known, Artoo Detoo, was a droid who proved himself extremely helpful throughout the entire Skywalker saga of Star Wars movies. He served some of the most powerful Jedi in Star Wars, and he witnessed some of the most important events in the entire Star Wars timeline. Artoo is an extremely high-profile droid, but there are still some parts of his character that remain much less known.

Though Artoo has appeared in most of the Star Wars movies, there are still quite a few pieces of trivia and facts about R2-D2 that aren't immediately apparent. One of those facts is the origin of his name, which is a seemingly random combination of letters and numbers. While it would be easy to assume that George Lucas,...

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“Star Wars” is good about keeping the content churning for fans: the franchise most recently released the highly anticipated “Acolyte” in June, with several other offshoots also in the works, including “Skeleton Crew” and “Lando.”

All the “Star Wars” content also means that there’s always new galactic-themed merch and gadgets to gift the biggest fans in your life. Below are 35 of the most unique, fun and nerdy “Star Wars” goods to gift this year.

Icons Unearthed: Star Wars

This new Star Wars book features an oral history into the biggest sci-fi franchise of all time. The book includes exclusive interviews with Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Paul Hirsch, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, Ken Ralston, John Dykstra and more. The biggest interview: new details from Marcia Lucas, the ex-wife of George Lucas,...

Stars: Alex Cox, Niketa Roman, Satish Ratakonda, Harper Taylor, Brynn Taylor | Written and Directed by Phil Tippett

Mad God is a stop-motion, post-industrial, post-apocalyptic fever dream. It was brought to us via crowdfunding by Phil Tippett, a man who has Star Wars, Robocop and Jurassic Park in his resume. I assume Phil is the titular Mad God, rather than any of the monsters on display.

Visually, as grim as the views here are, the talent and craft on display here are incredible. The monster design, and the stop motion is all top-notch. There aren’t conventional acts in this film. As I sit here, I am not sure if moving scenes around, at random, twisting the mad rubrics cube would have made any difference. It is an hour and 20 minutes of grim suffering that has little of a linear path (that I can see).

We kick off, with an incredibly compelling opening.

"Who shot first?" has long been a topic of contention amongst Star Wars fans, but Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's Jude Law knows the answer.

"Han! I have no qualms in that. Han killed him, cold blood," Law told Entertainment Weekly about George Lucas' controversial alteration to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope's Han Solo-Greedo shootout in Mos Eisley Cantina. While the theatrical Star Wars scene saw Han casually blast Greedo, the 1997 Special Edition reframed that confrontation by having the Rodian bounty hunter shoot at Han and miss, with Han killing Greedo in turn. That scene would be updated several times over the years, though Law still prefers the original one, stating, "that was the way it was always meant to be. Han all the way. And that's why we love him."

Han all the way. And that's why we love him.

Related Ahsoka's David Tennant...

The second entry in Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequel series, "Alien: Covenant," is probably the most divisive film in the entire franchise. So much so, we at /Film released two contrasting reviews -- a positive, 8 out of 10 from Karen Han, and a pretty scathing 4 out of 10 from Josh Spiegel that came with the headline "In Space, No One Can Hear You Be This Stupid." Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I'm a staunch "Prometheus" defender (don't @ me) and think the downright meanness of "Covenant" is a feature and not a bug. But there's one aspect that, try as I might, I just can't shake. I'm sorry Sir Ridley Scott, but the CGI is bonk at best and ropey at worst.

The threat of the Xenomorph XX121 species in its many life cycle stages is instantly diluted when it doesn't look like it's sharing the same space as the humans it's attacking.

Fede Alvarez clocks another successful franchise "takeover" with Alien: Romulus, but it’s not without faults. Celestial backdrops are stunners, Legacy Effects rewards Alvarez's dedication to using practical over digital (whenever possible), and horror-forward mindsets pack in exhilarating jolts. That said, it's an underwhelming evolution into franchise pandering that renders Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues' canonization rigid and routine. Evil Dead (2013) is always "Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead;" Alien: Romulus plays like Alvarez has studio-mandated ties he's checking off like assignment tasks. Everything gets grossly psychosexual, delirious, and dreadfully dark as per Alvarez's trademarks, just never on a level that kicks into hyperdrive.

Cailee Spaeny continues her remarkable run of 2024 performances as Rain Carradine, a youthful space colonist who's sick of Weyland-Yutani's corporate stranglehold over the working class. Rain's only companion is her stuttering synthetic Andy (David Jonsson), programmed with a prime directive to protect Rain. After Weyland-Yutani again...

Ready to return to a galaxy far, far away?

“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” the latest live-action series from Lucasfilm and Disney+, arrives later this year. This new series promises to take us to unexpected and unexplored corners of the “Star Wars” galaxy, introducing fans to brand new characters and scenarios, while maintaining the undeniable spirit. It’ll debut on the streaming service this winter, continuing the “Star Wars”-at-Christmas tradition of the sequel trilogy.

But you’re probably wondering… what is “Skeleton Crew,” exactly?

Read on to learn everything we know about the newest “Star Wars” series.

When is the release date?

“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” will debut on Disney+ on Dec. 3, 2024.

Who’s in the cast?

The cast of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” is led by Jude Law as Jod Na Nawood, a Force user, along with child actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers (as Wim), Kyriana Kratter (as Kb), Robert Timothy Smith...

Film historians agree that computer-generated imagery (CGI) was first used in a motion picture as far back as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958), which utilized abstract computer animation under its opening credits. Of course that’s not immediately what comes to mind when we think of CGI (or just plain CG) today: the earliest, crude instances of the kind of CG that dominates modern filmmaking were first seen in Westworld (1973), Star Wars, Looker (1981), the groundbreaking Tron (1982), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), and The Last Starfighter (1984).

But the first genuine leap in using CG to animate and incorporate photorealistic three-dimensional objects into live-action came in James Cameron’s The Abyss (1989) via the creation of the alien pseudopod made out of digital ocean water. The techniques developed by Industrial Light and Magic for that film blew open the doors to the true CG revolution in cinema, which began in the 1990s...

Upon seeing the 1958 film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Phil Tippett's life was forever changed. Fascinated by the film's stop-motion animation effects, courtesy of the legendary Ray Harryhausen, the impressionable seven-year-old was inspired to try his hand at filmmaking and began experimenting with a Super 8 camera. After years of learning and developing his skill set, Tippett joined the big leagues of visual effects artistry when he landed a gig designing stop-motion effects for a sci-fi film that few people thought had potential: Star Wars.

A new look at Skeleton Crew has just found its way online (via SFFGazette.com) and, believe it or not, it was discovered in a thrift store; however, we've confirmed it's the real deal. This has to be one of the strangest sources of a leak to date, though we're not complaining as it offers a new look at the show's leads.

The presence of those skulls is interesting and we're confident the cloaked figure leading the four youngsters is Jude Law's mysterious Jedi.

As for that mysterious droid, we believe he's accompanying the crew on this adventure and is likely called Sm-33. His head resembles a skull and we can't help but wonder whether that's where the name of the titular crew comes from.

Skeleton Crew takes place around the same time as The Mandalorian and is expected to tie into that and Ahsoka. How important it will...

Quick Links How Prehistoric Beast Evolved Into Disney's Dinosaur What Happened to Phil Tippett's Dinosaur? Is Dinosaur's Legacy Doomed to Extinction? Disney's Dinosaur began life as a very different film. Utilizing the talents of Phil Tippett a classic documentary gives audiences insights into the Disney movie he had in mind. Now more than ever Dinosaur's legacy is being called into question as the franchise faces extinction.

While dinosaurs may have taken over 65 million years to make their Hollywood debut, an underrated Disney movie took 16 years to come to life. Disney's classics about the animal kingdom, whether Bambi, The Lion King, or The Fox and the Hound, these movies remain among their best, showcasing innovation in animation and storytelling. However, one of Disney's most ambitious titles doesn't get the recognition it deserves or its entire story told. Disney's Dinosaur started life as a very different movie, beginning a journey as...

"It's a game called, 'Find What's Wrong With This Shot.'" Here is another must watch new video about the current state of the VFX industry in cinema. It's a 20 minute video essay created by Crafthive called "VFX r u ok? Why It Feels Like the End of VFX." The creators take a cold, hard look at what's happening with visual effects (aka CGI and/or VFX) and all of the problems right now, from creative executives to financial struggles to bad filmmakers, and everything else going on. They explain that nowadays VFX has been turned into a commodity, they're "more artisan than artists" now, which isn't a good thing. Yes they even touch on A.I., crypto, Marvel, and all these other dangerous topics. It's not looking good... If you're wondering why, this is a great place to start. This video is also a nice complement to the 'No...

Quick Links Before Making Mad God, Stop-Motion Master Phil Tippett Worked on Major Films Mad God Is a Horrific, Visceral Journey Through Hell There's Nothing Else Like Mad God, A Masterpiece of Craft and Creativity Shudder thrives in the streaming world by providing horror content, and Mad God is one of its best offerings. Mad God stands out as a unique masterpiece from legendary effects wizard Phil Tippett, whose career is incredibly impressive. Mad God is a horrific, visually striking journey through a hellish world of suffering, and it's made with an exceptional level of craft.

Shudder has carved out a dominant share of the streaming market in its focus on horror, and part of its success has been its original content. Since its launch in 2016, Shudder has put out dozens of shows and films, garnering a reputation as a premier destination for original horror of all kinds. While many...

Later this year, a new ‘Star Wars’ show is set to debut on Disney+ called “Skeleton Crew,” which “follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.”

Now, we have learned that Lucasfilm is taking the show back to the old techniques used in the original Star Wars films, including matte paintings from a retired Ilm (Industrial Light and Magic) painter and even stop-motion animation from Phil Tippett.

For those who don’t know, Phil Tippett helped create a special animation technique called “go motion” to animate the At-at walkers and tauntauns in “The Empire Strikes Back,” and he led the creature shop in “Return of the Jedi.”

“Skeleton Crew” co-creator Jon Watts spoke...

In a career that has spanned seven decades, Roger Corman is nothing short of a legend. His influence and impact are almost immeasurable, having mentored or introduced so many prominent filmmakers working today. That doesn’t even touch on how he changed independent cinema or wore multiple hats doing so: director, producer, writer, and actor, to name a few.

With the legend’s passing this weekend, it feels only appropriate to highlight just a handful of the essential Roger Corman horror movies on streaming. This week’s streaming picks celebrate some of the essential works of Roger Corman horror movies, whether he produced, directed, or appeared on screen.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

A Bucket of Blood – AMC+, Crackle, Fandor, Kanopy, MGM+, Midnight Pulp, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Shudder, Tubi, Vudu

Roger Corman had a recurring interest in counterculture,...

Skeleton Crew creator Jon Watts says that "prior Star Wars knowledge" is not required for viewers to enjoy the upcoming Disney+ series. Watts incorporates a mix of modern and old-school techniques, including pre-viz, Mocap and stop-motion, for a unique viewing experience. Jude Law dishes a bit about his mysterious and "complicated" character, but remains pretty tight-lipped about him.

Jon Watts spun a beautifully creative web for Sony and Marvel, writing and directing Spider-Man: Homecoming before going on to helm its sequels Spider-Man: Far from Home and the nearly two-billion-dollar success Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now, home for Watts is currently the Star Wars universe. But the creator of the upcoming Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew assures viewers that they dont have to already be fans of that galaxy far, far away. But diehards will enjoy it on many levels. Watts spoke with Steve Weintraub at Ccxp Mx in Mexico...

Oscar Award-winning visual effects artist Phil Tippett unleashed his decades-in-the-making stop-motion epic Mad God back in 2022, and Variety brings us the exciting news today that Tippett is brewing up another feature!

The website brings us a first look at Phil Tippett’s Sentinel, a brand new stop-motion animated feature film that will be pitched to potential partners in Cannes later this month.

Tippett explains to the site that he’s currently working on the script for Sentinel, which will be a mixture of “the whole history of VFX, from stop-motion to digital and now AI.”

“I can mix and match all these techniques,” he tells Variety.

From the plot details the website shared, we gather that Sentinel will begin “like a [traditional] World War One film.” From there, Variety writes in their own words, “the film’s main narrative expands wildly in the moments before a soldier’s death.”

Tippett explains,...

VFX icon and “Mad God” director Phil Tippett is working on a new stop-motion feature titled “Sentinel,” which will be pitched for the first time at this year’s Frontières section of Cannes’ Marché du Film.

Variety has been given exclusive access to the first plot details and set images from “Sentinel,” which shares a visual fidelity with “Mad God.” However, in terms of production, things will be very different this time around.

“Mad God” was a project that Tippett worked on off and on for thirty years. A similar timetable isn’t realistic for “Sentinel,” as the director would be over 100 at the film’s premiere. So, Tippett and producer Colin Geddes (Ultra 8 Pictures) say they’re pursuing a more conventional development and production plan with their new project, including a clearer narrative focus. Tippett has already begun filming bits of the film, and his team will be...

Skeleton Crew is arguably one of the more intriguing Star Wars projects heading our way, with very little known about how the series will fit into the wider Galaxy Far, Far Away (we've heard next to nothing since Star Wars Celebration attendees were treated to a brief sneak peek last April).

What we do know is that the Disney+ series focuses on a group of kids who get lost in space, with Jude Law cast in the lead role as a mysterious Jedi. With a confirmed post-Return of the Jedi setting, we also anticipate it somehow tying into The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.

Collider (via SFFGazette.com) recently spoke with director and executive producer Jon Watts and learned that Skeleton Crew is set to launch this holiday season. That presumably means a December launch.

The filmmaker also shared a new description of the series. "It's about a group of kids...

Mixing classic techniques with cutting-edge tech, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew aims to captivate new audiences and wow long-time fans. Director Jon Watts employs stop-motion animation, matte paintings, and other traditional methods alongside modern tools for storytelling magic. The series follows children on a cosmic adventure, promising to be an entertaining and multi-level experience for viewers of all backgrounds.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Disney+'s latest offering, plans to combine modern visual effects with classic filmmaking techniques. The new Star Wars will be helmed by Jon Watts, known for his acclaimed work on the MCUs Spider-Man trilogy.

During his interview with Collider at Ccxp Mexico City, Watts discussed the creative process behind "Skeleton Crew." The director revealed he is harnessing a variety of tools, from cutting-edge motion capture and pre-visualization technologies to the time-honored techniques of matte painting and stop-motion animation.

I got to use all the cool stuff on my most recent Star Wars show.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is an upcoming adventure television series set in the universe created by George Lucas. The series was created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford and is expected to premiere sometime in 2024. Ahead of the show’s release, Watts spoke about crafting a new experience in the Star Wars world through the series.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is an upcoming series co-created by Jon Watts.

At the same time, Watts also shed light on the show’s use of practical effects. Therefore, it is likely that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will be closer in visual style to the earlier films in the franchise, which fans hold dear even today. Meanwhile, the series might also avoid the criticism aimed at the more recent entries in the franchise, which fans hate for overreliance on one particular technique.

Jon Watts Talks Using Practical Effects in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

During...

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Set for Christmas Release This Year - Main Image

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has finally set a release window for its highly-anticipated premiere later this year.

There has been a lot of anticipation for the upcoming Star Wars series which will be a coming-of-age story that is set around the same time frame as The Mandalorian and the other live-action shows.

So far, the plot details are being kept under wraps, but the series will star Oscar nominees Jude Law and Kerry Condon and feature an ensemble of young actors.

Also Read: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Star Kerry Condon Praises Upcoming Series: "I Loved Being on It"

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew to Premiere Around Christmas This Year

In his recent convention interview, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew co-creator Jon Watts revealed that the upcoming series will premiere on Disney+ around Christmas time this year.

No exact date...

Skeleton Crew blends cutting-edge digital effects with classic Star Wars techniques, including stop-motion animation and matte paintings. The show follows a group of children lost in the Star Wars universe and features Jude Law as a Jedi Knight on a coming-of-age journey. Phil Tippett, one of the VFX artists who worked on the original Star Wars trilogy, helped with Skeleton Crew's stop-motion.

The Star Wars franchise is returning to its roots, as the upcoming Skeleton Crew TV show taps one of the original trilogys legendary VFX artists. Created by the Marvel Cinematic Universes Spider-Man director Jon Watts and frequent collaborator Christopher Ford, Skeleton Crew is being touted as a coming-of-age story set within the Star Wars universe during the time of The Mandalorian. Starring Jude Law as an as-yet-unnamed Jedi Knight, the show will focus on a group of children who find themselves lost in the wider galaxy and are seeking a way home.

Paul Verhoeven's 1997 sci-fi war film "Starship Troopers," based on the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein, is a vicious satire that lampoons the aggressive, unthinking language used to bolster unjust, fascistic wars. The main characters are all young, attractive, empty-headed grunts inducted into a meaningless 24th-century intergalactic war with a distant species of giant intelligent arachnids.

The most notable feature of Verhoeven's film, however, is the propaganda videos that periodically fill the screen. Clear-voiced, boldly preachy short films announce to the audience that the war needs to be fought and that the government needs as many able-bodied youths as it can wrangle to feed them into the soul-hollowing combat machine. "The only good bug is a dead bug," people growl. Anti-bug sentiment is high.

Also, the film is a comedy. Screenwriter Edward Neumeier ("RoboCop") strikes a broadly cynical tone, playfully dissecting the American war machine and the politicians who spoke of war as a grand,...

“Sentinel,” by Hollywood legend Phil Tippett, and “Sister Inconnue,” the first solo directorial outing of Rkss’ Anouk Whissell, cold well be two highlights at a 2024 Cannes Frontières Platform that looks set to underscore the robust range of genre as it is embraced by Hollywood, big independents, horror devotees and auteurs alike.

Creator of creatures for “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park,” Tippett may have terrified more people than anybody alive. If a teaser is anything to go by, “Sentinel,” a project, may well pick up on the style of 2021’s experimental and nightmarish stop motion/animation “Mad God.”

“Sentinel” features a battleground reminiscent of WWI hellish horror, giant bugs echoing “Starship Troopers,” Tippett’s last big job, attack droids and the statuesque figures of Osiris, Horus and Anubis, the last of which saves the hero, the gas-masked Sentinel, from a gruesome battlefield.

Sure to be a huge draw, an expanded version...

"Starship Troopers" was not a big hit when it arrived in 1997, and many audiences didn't know what to make of the darkly satirical tone created by "RoboCop" filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. In the years since its release, however, Verhoeven's violent, funny, action-packed sci-fi flick has been re-evaluated and become both a cult classic and a movie that some people still don't understand.

Adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's novel, "Starship Troopers" follows a group of youngsters who get swept up in being soldiers when alien bugs attack Earth. Of course, the war ends up being hell, and many of these fresh young faces are cut down in increasingly nasty ways. And then, just in case all of the satire went over your head, Verhoeven ends things by having Neil Patrick Harris show up dressed in a Nazi uniform.

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Well, how about this: did you know...