These days, Peter Jackson is best known for directing big budget spectacles. He took the Hobbits to Mordor, he cast Benedict Cumberbatch as a dragon, he brought us the sight of a motion-capture King Kong smacking around a bunch of dinosaurs. But when he was just getting his career started, he was making very different kinds of movies: horror comedies that were drenched in blood and pretty much every other bodily fluid you can think of. In 1992, he brought the world what may be the bloodiest film ever made: a zombie comedy he would call Braindead, but many fans know it as Dead Alive. And if you haven’t seen this one yet (you can watch it Here), it’s the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw.
Peter Jackson never had any formal film school training, and not just because they didn’t have such courses in his home country of New Zealand.
Peter Jackson never had any formal film school training, and not just because they didn’t have such courses in his home country of New Zealand.
- 3/8/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Long before his involvement in a series of elf-populated, jewelry-based hiking movies, New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson won hearts as the director of gloppy, vomitous, utterly repellant midnight grindhouse fare like "Bad Taste," "Meet the Feebles," and "Braindead" (known as "Dead Alive" in North America). Jackson's early films have an excited, adolescent joie de vivre that his later digital-forward technical exercises lack, and are perfect for naughty teenagers who think that films like "Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn" don't go far enough.
"Dead Alive," easily one of the goriest films ever made, is constructed like a comedy film and has a premise that wouldn't feel out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. Lionel (Timothy Balme) lives with his controlling and guilt-trip-dispensing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in 1950s Wellington. Lionel is beloved by a local shop owner named Paquita (Diana Peñalver) who believes, courtesy of tarot cards, that they...
"Dead Alive," easily one of the goriest films ever made, is constructed like a comedy film and has a premise that wouldn't feel out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. Lionel (Timothy Balme) lives with his controlling and guilt-trip-dispensing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in 1950s Wellington. Lionel is beloved by a local shop owner named Paquita (Diana Peñalver) who believes, courtesy of tarot cards, that they...
- 10/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Two decades after its release, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy remains a monumental achievement. Like "Star Wars," or "Jurassic Park" before it, Peter Jackson's trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary book was a blend of old-school cinematic techniques and new technological wizardry. The films used on-camera tricks like forced perspective and miniatures, but also state-of-the-art VFX and motion-capture technology in order to bring Middle-earth to life.
This is especially true of the fight scenes in the trilogy, which share a sense of scope with the epic movies of old like "Ben-Hur" or "Cleopatra" while still feeling modern.
While we wait for Prime Video to bring us the most expensive TV show ever with "The Rings of Power," it's time to revisit the #1 trilly and the golden standard for fantasy movie trilogies and what makes it great. There is one scene in particular which, even 20 years later,...
This is especially true of the fight scenes in the trilogy, which share a sense of scope with the epic movies of old like "Ben-Hur" or "Cleopatra" while still feeling modern.
While we wait for Prime Video to bring us the most expensive TV show ever with "The Rings of Power," it's time to revisit the #1 trilly and the golden standard for fantasy movie trilogies and what makes it great. There is one scene in particular which, even 20 years later,...
- 8/23/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
‘Lord of the Rings’ at 20: Why Peter Jackson’s Trilogy Was One of Hollywood’s Riskiest Projects Ever
After success with several small-scale films, Peter Jackson in 1992 told Variety he was looking for a project “that will really push me.”
He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.
“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...
He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.
“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
The new Netflix documentary “Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes” recounts the life and crimes of notorious Scottish serial killer and necrophile Dennis Nilsen, who murdered at least 12 young men over a five-year period.
Directed by Michael Harte ( “Don’t F–k With Cats”), the doc uses 250 hours worth of tapes recorded from Nilsen’s prison cell, allowing the self-proclaimed “murderer of the century” to tell his story in his own words.
American audiences, accustomed to tales of our homegrown serial killers, may not be as familiar with Nilsen as our friends across the pond. Consider this a primer on who he was and why his crimes continue to terrify the Brits to this day.
Nilsen had a quiet upbringing in the Scottish countryside in the 1950s and realized he was gay when he was about 8 years old, according to his cassette tapes. He also claimed in the tapes...
Directed by Michael Harte ( “Don’t F–k With Cats”), the doc uses 250 hours worth of tapes recorded from Nilsen’s prison cell, allowing the self-proclaimed “murderer of the century” to tell his story in his own words.
American audiences, accustomed to tales of our homegrown serial killers, may not be as familiar with Nilsen as our friends across the pond. Consider this a primer on who he was and why his crimes continue to terrify the Brits to this day.
Nilsen had a quiet upbringing in the Scottish countryside in the 1950s and realized he was gay when he was about 8 years old, according to his cassette tapes. He also claimed in the tapes...
- 8/18/2021
- by Alex Noble
- The Wrap
Special Mention: Un chien andalou
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
Genre: Experimental Short
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece. Buñuel famously said that he and Dalí wrote the film by telling one another their dreams. The film went on to influence the horror genre immensely. After all, even as manipulative as the “dream” device is, it’s still a proven way to jolt an audience. Just ask Wes Craven, who understood this bit of cinematic psychology when he dreamt of the central force behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film intended to be an exploration of surreal horror. David Lynch is contemporary cinema’s most devoted student of Un chien andalou – the severed ear at...
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
Genre: Experimental Short
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece. Buñuel famously said that he and Dalí wrote the film by telling one another their dreams. The film went on to influence the horror genre immensely. After all, even as manipulative as the “dream” device is, it’s still a proven way to jolt an audience. Just ask Wes Craven, who understood this bit of cinematic psychology when he dreamt of the central force behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film intended to be an exploration of surreal horror. David Lynch is contemporary cinema’s most devoted student of Un chien andalou – the severed ear at...
- 10/28/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
With the release of The Dark Knight Rises and the completion of the Dark Knight Trilogy it had me thinking of where it falls when compared to other classic trilogies. Trilogies used to be reserved for a select few, but now everything has a trilogy. I mean Step Up had a trilogy…until they made another movie and now it’s a quadrilogy. To be fair there is a lot of plot in that series so four movies were absolutely necessary. In fact I’m quite surprised Step Up Revolutions wasn’t split up into two parts. That’s not to say that there aren’t any great ones out there, because there are quite a few and I hope to point out some of those today. I created a list of what I think are the best trilogies ever made. I considered a few things when making this list.
- 12/30/2013
- by Dan Clark
- Nerdly
One of the more interesting rumors to emerge in recent times was talk of the possibility of "Star Trek" making a return to television. While Paramount owns the films, CBS owns the TV rights and the small screen is where 'Trek' always was at home.
In an interview with Screenrant regarding his new TV show "Almost Human," J.J. Abrams sadly shoots down the rumor. He says:
"I have been hearing for as long as I can remember that CBS, who has the rights to the series, has just been saying they’re not interested. That’s the word I’ve been told."
Meanwhile, Abrams dismissive comments regarding the highly panned "Star Trek" video game from earlier this year has come under fire.
Digital Extremes creative director Stephen Sinclair recently sat down with IGN to talk the upcoming game "Warframe" and revealed he was left a big "shaken" by Abrams' comments about the game.
In an interview with Screenrant regarding his new TV show "Almost Human," J.J. Abrams sadly shoots down the rumor. He says:
"I have been hearing for as long as I can remember that CBS, who has the rights to the series, has just been saying they’re not interested. That’s the word I’ve been told."
Meanwhile, Abrams dismissive comments regarding the highly panned "Star Trek" video game from earlier this year has come under fire.
Digital Extremes creative director Stephen Sinclair recently sat down with IGN to talk the upcoming game "Warframe" and revealed he was left a big "shaken" by Abrams' comments about the game.
- 11/20/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
- 10/28/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention: Gremlins
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Chris Columbus
1984, USA
Gremlins gets a special mention because I’ve always considered it more of a comedy and a wholesome Christmas flick than an actual horror film. This tribute the 1950s matinee genre stands the test of time from a time when parents would take their children to family films that pushed the boundaries of the MPAA. Joe Dante is...
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention: Gremlins
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Chris Columbus
1984, USA
Gremlins gets a special mention because I’ve always considered it more of a comedy and a wholesome Christmas flick than an actual horror film. This tribute the 1950s matinee genre stands the test of time from a time when parents would take their children to family films that pushed the boundaries of the MPAA. Joe Dante is...
- 10/15/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
A Priest, A Rabbi and Your Mom Walk Into a Movie Theatre…
You might think that your Mom disapproves of all horror films on principle. At least that’s the stereotype: the wagging finger; the warning that horror films cause nightmares. But the truth is that this is merely a bit of parental judo, reverse psychology designed to push us to watching horror films, because nothing warns us and upholds the moral order like a horror film.
What are the elements of a horror film after all? There is a monster; there is a sense of danger (as critic Joe Bob Briggs puts it “Anyone can die at any time”); the deaths are usually gruesome; and there is usually a moral. If you think about it, fairy tales and horror films are not that far apart – they are even closer to one another in the fairy tales original Grimm-er forms,...
You might think that your Mom disapproves of all horror films on principle. At least that’s the stereotype: the wagging finger; the warning that horror films cause nightmares. But the truth is that this is merely a bit of parental judo, reverse psychology designed to push us to watching horror films, because nothing warns us and upholds the moral order like a horror film.
What are the elements of a horror film after all? There is a monster; there is a sense of danger (as critic Joe Bob Briggs puts it “Anyone can die at any time”); the deaths are usually gruesome; and there is usually a moral. If you think about it, fairy tales and horror films are not that far apart – they are even closer to one another in the fairy tales original Grimm-er forms,...
- 10/4/2012
- by Michael Ryan
- SoundOnSight
Article by Dan Clark
With the release of The Dark Knight Rises and the completion of the Dark Knight Trilogy it had me thinking of where it falls when compared to other classic trilogies. Trilogies used to be reserved for a select few, but now everything has a trilogy. I mean Step Up had a trilogy…until they made another movie and now it’s a quadrilogy. To be fair there is a lot of plot in that series so four movies were absolutely necessary. In fact I’m quite surprised Step Up Revolutions wasn’t split up into two parts. That’s not to say that there aren’t any great ones out there, because there are quite a few and I hope to point out some of those today. I created a list of what I think are the best trilogies ever made. I considered a few things when making this list.
With the release of The Dark Knight Rises and the completion of the Dark Knight Trilogy it had me thinking of where it falls when compared to other classic trilogies. Trilogies used to be reserved for a select few, but now everything has a trilogy. I mean Step Up had a trilogy…until they made another movie and now it’s a quadrilogy. To be fair there is a lot of plot in that series so four movies were absolutely necessary. In fact I’m quite surprised Step Up Revolutions wasn’t split up into two parts. That’s not to say that there aren’t any great ones out there, because there are quite a few and I hope to point out some of those today. I created a list of what I think are the best trilogies ever made. I considered a few things when making this list.
- 8/1/2012
- by Guest
- Nerdly
Chicago – The first words we hear are those of the beguiling elf Galadriel, whose ethereal voice haunts an empty screen while declaring, “The world is changed.” And so it had in December 2001, when Americans were reeling from 9/11, and more eager than ever to escape into a fantasy where moral certainty was never in doubt, and pure-hearted heroes clung to the belief that there was still good in the world, and it was worth fighting for.
It’s often difficult to view Peter Jackson’s nearly decade-old adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel without becoming utterly overwhelmed by the sheer scope and magnitude of his achievement. It is not a trilogy in the traditional sense, but a towering epic that truly works as one complete film, and represents one of the greatest feats of sustained filmmaking in modern movie history. Though Tolkien hated the idea of publishers splitting his novel into three books,...
It’s often difficult to view Peter Jackson’s nearly decade-old adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel without becoming utterly overwhelmed by the sheer scope and magnitude of his achievement. It is not a trilogy in the traditional sense, but a towering epic that truly works as one complete film, and represents one of the greatest feats of sustained filmmaking in modern movie history. Though Tolkien hated the idea of publishers splitting his novel into three books,...
- 4/5/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Titirangi Theatre Presents Kotuku- The Bellbird - by Stephen Sinclair. This is New Zealand Theatre at it's most exciting and challenging. Its themes are universal, but ultimately it is a story of Aotearoa and the weaving of our indigenous Maori culture with the first European settlers. At the play's heart - a beautiful tale of forbidden romance, and a story that deserves to be told.
- 6/29/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
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