Thursday, August 28, 2008

Perlman Rides on in New F/X Show

Ron Perlman is starring in a new show on F/X called SONS OF ANARCHY, about a motorcycle gang in California. I got a sneak peek of the first two episodes and it looks like the show has a lot of potential. It is edgy, raw and violent - and I liken it to a Biker version of The Sopranos, with Perlman in the Tony Soprano role as the leader of the gang. I will post my full review at DelToroFilms.com before the premiere on September 3, but for now, check out the official website here.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

"Jerry" Rests on the Shoulders of Ball State Students

Ball State University is redefining the term “educational film.”

During the hot summer months in Muncie, IN, Ball State University filmed its first professional, commercial film – MY NAME IS JERRY, starring Guillermo Del Toro favorite, Doug Jones.

And it is being made with the help of veteran filmmakers…and BSU students.

Producer Rodger Smith, director of the Institute for Digital Entertainment and Education (IDEE) and director Morgan Mead were able to convince the College of Fine Arts at Ball State to help finance the film, and in return, students at the college get to be part of a real commercial film…and perhaps get a head start on a dream career in the film business.

“We want situations where we can take students and put them into a real live situation where they are either using tools that they’ve already learned or they’re developing new tools by being in that environment,” says Smith. But he adds, “For that to be successful, the project has to have some sort of successful outcome, i.e. a product – one that has commercial value.”

Enter Doug Jones – a marketable name who has graced the screen in the Academy Award winning PAN’S LABYRINTH, and the blockbuster films FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, HELLBOY, and HELLBOY II. Not only is he a renowned actor in Hollywood, he is also a Ball State alumn, graduating in 1982. His participation, along with a strong script by Mead and fellow alumn David Hamilton (who is a professional scriptwriter in Los Angeles) was enough to greenlight this commercially viable immersion project about a middle aged man who escapes a mid-life crisis by associating with young people from the punk rock scene.
Director Morgan Mead, Doug Jones, and Katlyn Carlson

The students, who are diligent and professional on the set, are getting rave reviews from the industry professionals. Actor Don Stark, perhaps best known for his role as Donna’s dad on THAT 70’S SHOW, plays a main character in the film

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and this is one of the best experiences I’ve had. When you work with professionals that are coming to do it for the love of the project, its not for money,” he says. “And when you’ve got students who are wide-eyed and wanting to learn – they haven’t been tarnished by the Hollywood scene. They don’t know what they can’t do, therefore they can do everything.”

Doug Jones is more than impressed…he gets emotional about these young filmmakers. “I could cry,” he says. “These kids are amazing.”

The kids do everything on the set –acting, costume and makeup, working crew, assistant directing…even marketing and administrative work. Aspiring actress Betsy Holt is still in awe of the experience.

“I stay up with Doug Jones until 3am at the Sunshine CafĂ© and read lines with him. How cool is that?”

For those serious about turning this experience into a career, Smith acknowledges that it is quite a challenge.

“The best most of them can hope for is a job as a PA [personal assistant]. That’s where everybody starts, but it’s also they don’t know enough to be more than that. They need to spend 2, 3 or 4 years on a set, and they get enough skills that they can be a third A.D.”

This project, he says, gives them a head start on their goals. “These kids are picking up that kind of experience,” he says. “You can only get that [experience] from doing a commercial film. You just can’t get it any other way.”
MY NAME IS JERRY will be released in 2009.
All photos by Kyle Peters.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

New Hellboy II Character Graphics

Here are some new Troll Market character graphics for y'all:







Friday, August 15, 2008

Hellboy II Character Bios

Here are some fun Hellboy 2 character bios for you:

character bio wink Image

character bio johann Image

Character Bio Liz Image

Character Bio Prince Image

about_character_bio_1 Image

about_character_bio_2 Image

character bio angel Image

character bio princess Image

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

'Skin & Bones' Review

I finally got around to watching Doug Jones's FEAR ITSELF episode, "Skin & Bones." Doug had some really great moments, playing a rancher ("Grady") who has returned from being lost in the wilderness and has somehow acquired a supernatural taste for human flesh.

This was the first time I can recall Doug being really E-V-I-L. Like a violent kind of evil. If you ever meet Doug, he is such a kind and generous soul, so it is fun to see his talents as an actor shine through - he really is able to inhabit the soul of Grady.

One thing that really stands out for Doug is how he uses his hands so expressively. I have a feeling that this is one of the things that Guillermo likes about Doug. His hands move at times in an almost "other-wordly" manner - it creates a "dreamy" or "supernatural" effect in his performance. His portrayal of the faun in PAN'S LABYRINTH is a great example of his hand motions, and I think this episode of "Skin & Bones" showed it as well. There was a moment when Doug's hand reaches out to open a barn door that was positively chilling.

Overall I thought the episode was average. I had never watched a FEAR ITSELF episode before, and I was hoping it would be a show that I could set the DVR for every week. Unfortunately, I thought it eventually went too heavy on the cheap scares and horror, and could have benefited from a little more psychological drama and character development. But that's the difference between "good" and "great". "Skin & Bones" was just a "good" show - but still, it is a quality "horror" program returning to network television. For that reason alone it will get my support.

Doug had a tough role, and he made it work. His performance was chilling and spooky. Can't wait to see what he can do with a more understated part in MY NAME IS JERRY.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The "X-Files: I Want To Believe" Review

I'm a huge X-Files fan - I've seen every episode (I think) and even recently bought the new X-Files comic book written by Frank Spotnitz. I love the characters, I love the mythology, I love everything about it.

So how did I like the new movie, X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE? I liked it. It probably played more like a TV movie - it was very low budget - but the characters were consistent and it was an above average thriller. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time.

Hell, it was just great to see Mulder and Scully again.

The film is, as they say, a "stand-alone" episode outside of the alien conspiracy mythology. It merges well with the final television episode as we see Mulder and Scully continue their romantic relationship - but it is very subdued and secondary to the plot, which starts as an investigation into a missing FBI agent, but quickly becomes an X-File as the FBI discovers a strange link between the agent, a number of missing bodies, and a pedophile with ESP.

The movie steamrolls into a classic horror X-File, and my only complaint is that the film doesn't "go for it" with some over-the-top shocking horror. It is content not to take any risks and just tell the story. Which is fine, because, as I said, I'm just happy that the X-Files are back.

This film is very entertaining, and I think even the marginal X-Files fan, or even someone that appreciates a great horror/crime story will enjoy it.

Monday, August 4, 2008

GDT News of the Weird

A couple of weird news stories hit the internet recently, concerning our man, GDT:

The first is Guillermo describing a "Close Encounter" to he had when he was 15 and living in Mexico:

He explained: "I was with my friend in Mexico and we saw a light moving over the highway. It jumped all over the sky.

"We started beeping our horns and flashing our lights - and suddenly it jumped around 60km closer.

"We raced back to the city. It started following us."


The second story is a from an interview with Selma Blair, who says GDT advised her to go on an acid trip to help "overcome her doubts and insecurities."

"You know what Guillermo thinks? That I should go to Amsterdam and take an acid trip and it would fix my head. I think he could be right, you know."


After reading the latter story, I couldn't help but think of that old Motley Crue song:

He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's the one that makes ya feel all right
He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's gonna be your Frankenstein.

Except on the last line, replace "He's" with "Doug Jones".