Make-up work- in-progress

So follows a series of step by step images showing my character from sketch/design phase to photoshop mock-up and then, hopefully, the actual work which will be gloriously how I imagined it to be (lets hope). Dubbed the "sea witch", she is a mer-creature from the furtherst, most exotic Indian islands and has never surfaced on land before in her true form (something like that, story hasn't been finished yet).

Good news, bad news...

First, the good news, especially for fans of Castlevania, like me! Firstly

The movie has been scrapped (excellent, rather this than let Paul Worthless Shit Anderson ruin it):

---

Sources close to Bloody-Disgusting have confirmed that Paul W.S. Anderson's Castlevania adaptation has officially turned to dust. The project, originally announced with Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard, I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer) attached to direct, had recently went out to new directors only to take a trip into the abyss of "development hell.

---

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16302

I'm ecstatic, as I never wanted a film version in the first place. As we all know, video game adaptations, 9.5 times out of 10, end up being a work of shameless insult- so I'm just glad Hollywood isn't going anywhere near my favourite franchise ever here, especially since Anderson wanted to get his grubby mitts on it. Secondly, some more Castlevania related news from E3- information on the new game in the series- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

Originally a new IP entitled Lords of Shadow (and in that form looking coincidentally very Castlevania-like with the protagonist wielding a whip in a Gothic setting), it has now decidedly been turned into an official Castlevania game, produced by Kojima Productions (the game itself is being developed by Madrid-based MercurySteam Entertainment, creator of Clive Barker's Jericho. E3 just showed a trailer for it labelling it as a new reboot of the failing franchise, this time helmed by Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima himself. Now i've been going on for literally years at how they should change the game and make it more action orientated instead of the usual Metroid/RPG style and it looks like finally my prayers have been answered- this is the type of game I have wanted for years and especially with the popularity of God of War (which I wanted a new CV game to be in the vein of because GoW does the whole Castlevania action/combat really well), Lords of Shadow is obviously looking at it for inspiration and that's a good thing. Kojima's involvement is very important here and I really appreciate him coming on board as I feel IGA, whilst having some solid ideas, has a hard time expanding on them and breaking motiff. Storyline and dialogue is such an integral part of this type of action adventure game and Kojima's got the track record to work with that and take the game to a profound level of immersion. I just hope the game isn't bogged down by 2 hour cinematics and a level of seriously overlong pomposity which borders on the irratating and boredom.

Robert Carlyle will provide the voice for the game's protagonist, Gabriel. It is unknown whether trademark series artist Ayami Kojima returns for the character designs.

Shelving what has come before is a good thing, in some regards. Castlevania needs to become less dependant on its much-laboured-upon timeline/history and its 2D catalogue (let’s face it: every game in the series is always compared to Symphony of the Night) and by putting in a fresh producer you set a new marker point. Konami must feel this game is in relatively good shape, because it will be looked at very closely by the media due to Kojima's involvement. You can't blow it or the series (in 3D) will get tarred with another dirty brush.

Lords of Shadow hints at a deep and meaningful quest with mature themes, its lead character possessing an aura of grit, determination, and solemn poise. It’s hard to pinpoint this and I’m open to critique, but Castlevania in 3D up until now has never really been taken seriously, it’s felt like a “in”-game, you needed to be a fan of the series to get it, or wasn’t accessible enough (or probably just not good enough). It could blow peoples’ pre-conceptions out of the water and Gabriel could become the new Dante or Kratos. Patrick Stewart, Robert Carlyle (as Gabriel) and Jason Isaacs lend their voices, which will now add an even more serious tone to the series, for the first time. It's looking good so far, an i'm very happy for these turn of events after literally years of constant disappointment and waning enthusiasm for one of my favourite game series ever (if not my ultimate favourite).

Castlevania needs a fresh reboot after some lacklustre recent sequels, so I'm happy they are thinking seriously about it now.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer:




Next, bad news on the troubled Hellraiser remake:

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/31985/pascal-laugier-no-longer-raisin g-hell

---

Pascal Laugier No Longer Raising Hell

Via his official Twitter account Clive Barker reported that Pascal Laugier is regrettably no longer on the Hellraiser remake. Bummer! Laugier would’ve been a shoe-in to capture some of the most grotesque sights of the Hellraiser universe while keeping an emotional investment in the characters (at least, if Martyrs is any indication). But in the wake of him walking away, the project suddenly seems boring and desperate again. Maybe Dimension will find the right person to take the reins, but c’mon.

I had much, much enthusiasm, respect and hope for Laugier to bring us a definitive and worthy Hellraiser film, having recently enjoyed Martyrs. Damn!

I'd rather the remake just get cancelled right now to be honest, than see it in the hands of a no doubt lesser director (which will probably be the case). Let's hope this production hell makes it fade away for good.

*EDIT*

The movie is officially dead in the water, at least for the time being.

The release date has been postponed indefinitely by the Weinstein's and there is reportedly no development being done.

But Pascal Laugier, the single most perfect director for the movie one can imagine, was most certainly on the right track. He would have given us a movie that maybe could not top, but certainly stand proudly next to, the original.

He also made it very clear that this was a movie he wanted to do right, and early on said that if the ridiculous demands of the Weinstein's compromised his vision, he'd rather not do it.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39602

---

So, I gotta ask you this - HELLRAISER. What are your thoughts, or plans, for HELLRAISER, and how do you feel also about remakes in general?

Pascal Laugier: First of all, HELLRAISER is a child's dream coming true. I saw the first when I was 13, I remember precisely the shock it had on me because it was so new, so fresh, so it's very hard to resist the temptation to do HELLRAISER, you know? So of course. When you come from my culture it's like amazing you're even proposed to do HELLRAISER. So of course I felt about it a lot. Right now I have no reasons to refuse the opportunity because IF I disagree with the producer I would leave the project. You know, I'm not forced to do ANYTHING I don't want. So, let me write the first draft, let me tell you what all the American producers have reacted to the reading of the first draft and I will tell you if I'm in good hands or if I'm gonna leave a hellish experience but in ANY CASE, I won't betray Clive Barker's work. I want to do a fresh film filled with a lot of unexpected and surprising things. At the same time, I want it to be connected to the real, original material.

I'm talking about the novella and the first film that are very close to each other. We'll get the chance to have much more money than even Clive had in the first film, so it will be of course more epic, it will be bigger, and I hope that it won't be softer. And right now I trust the guys in Dimension [Films] You know? It's all a matter of human relationship. I talk a lot with Bob Weinstein, he cares about the projects, he's a movie buff, he knows a lot about cinema. But at the same time he's Bob Weinstein and he's a very realistic money maker. So it will be a battle, and I hope that a balance will be found so the film will be close to my vision. What can I say? I'm not sure. I can't sign with my blood that I'm gonna achieve...

The recent history of the troubled Hellraiser remake goes as follows:

Clive Barker, godfather granddaddy creator of the series and director of the original classic wrote a draft - rejected by the Weinstein's.

The writers of Feast and Saw 4 and 5 also wrote a draft - also rejected by the Weinstein's.

Two french director's whose names escape me signed on, but left due to creative differences with the Weinstein's.

Darren Lynn Bousman, rumured to be attached, but never signed on officially.

Lastly, Pascal Laugier, the PERFECT director for this movie, was attached but left due to the Weinstein's not allowing him to make the movie he and Clive Barker felt was the right movie.

Due to the idiotic parameters decreed by the Weinstein's and their general mismanagement of the property, the movie has been years in development, cost millions, and is back at square one. As of now, the project is dead in the water.

Here's to hoping the Weinstein's go broke, and someone more worthy, like Seraphim, acquire the Hellraiser rights. They have blown millions on this, and are back at square one - all thanks to their own mismanagement of the property and the talent they had involved.

New trailer for Hisss!

Finally, a trailer is released for what looks like one of the most interesting and unusual horror flicks you're likely to see this year, and it's actually turning out much better than I expected! I'm really looking forward to it as it's really quite different from usual run-of-the-mill horror flicks, this time focusing on a well known Asian mythological legend rather than mindless psycho killers stalking teenagers, remakes or the usual exercise in graphic, mindless and excessive showcase of torture porn, which seems to be the current trend right now with horror films.

Hisss is a contemporary retelling of the age old Indian legends regarding the ichhadhari nagin, snake women of the race of serpent shape shifters from the underworld, as written in the ancient Puranic and Vedic texts of pre-Hindu mythology . Many films have been made throughout India on this subject, and for me the most striking was 1986's hit Nagina, which made a huge impression on me as a child (I'll never forget Sri Devi's snake-dance, with her piercing blue eyes literally creeping the hell out of me as Amrish Puri plays the infamously disturbing yet catchy snake-charmer music now iconic to film). Most of these movies usually dabbled in romance and revenge and though Hisss retains the roots of this popular genre aswell it is now also, for the first time, exploring the legend by creeping into the realm of pure unadulterated fantasy horror...which is right up my street!

The movie revolves around a seedy American who travels to India in search of the truth about the nagas and hopefully capture one, as he believes that hidden within the hood of this mythical creature lies a rare gem of great worth. Once there he manages to find and captures one, and takes it back to the modern world for hus own personal gain and to exploit at his will. Unbeknownst to him of course, the naga's mate soon learns of this and, transforming into a human female, embarks on a journey of revenge as she travels in search of her lost love, killing all that stand in her way, as we find out nothing should becoming between a nagin and their lust for power and love. Written and directed by Jennifer Lynch (daughter of cult film director David Lynch and of the recent Surveillance), it stars the stunning Malika Sherawat as the seductive Nagin snake woman out for revenge as well as Irfan Khan, most recently seen in the multi Oscar award winning Slumdog Millionaire.

Malika Sherawat as a mythological Nagin (Snake Woman)

What makes this movie special is that it is joint Indian and American production- an American director is taking the helm (as chosen by the producers) as well as an American special effects company but the story and production is Indian and it's being filmed in India simultaneously in both Hindi and English (although I must add the movie is not Bollywood so there's no need to worry about song and dance acts! This is a gritty terror/drama whose main priority is to shock and awe with it's beautiful horror imagery). Malika as always looks fantastic in the part but when she becomes the snake-creature it's both horrific and...strangely beautiful (don't ask me why, it just looks so fucking awesome). The make-up effects are by the ever-fantastic Robert Kurtzman, who has worked with visionary directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodrigeuz on classic films such as From Dusk Till Dawn, Army of Darkness, A Nightmare on Elm Street Parts 5 and 7, Evil Dead II and Scream, to name a few from his colourful filmography. His work has been pretty incredible throughout and it looks to be no exception here; his designs for the naga are both revolting, scary and sexy at the same time and the pictures had me pumped when I first saw them as it looks to be a groundbreaking piece of work, especially for an Indian horror film. Seeing them within the movie now is even better as the look and feel is perfect, as is the visual tone of the film- very slimy, sticky, hot and sexual- perfect for this kind of movie and it really shows off the excellent make-up work well.

Hisss is in post-production right now but it'll be out in a few months, a perfect tie-in for a hot, sultry and altogether venomous Indian summer. I can't wait!:

Family Guy is shit.

Just a quick rant:

People seem to get massive fanboy hard-ons for this crap and it makes no sense to me as I think it's absolutely fucking terrible, and in my honest opinion it's one of the worst attempts at an animated sitcom I've ever seen (and i've seen too many in my time). The early series' however did have some genuinely good episodes and the show itself did show promise but it quickly turned into an unfunny sketch show which uses a random gag sequence to try and be entertaining but just ends up being too dumb for it's own good.

Typical episode:

"Hey, this reminds me of the time/like the time/remember that time when we [insert random pop culture reference/80s film parody/celebrity piss-take/political statement joke/lame attempt at satire]"

repeat for 25 minutes, along with Stewie saying something gay/cussing his mum, taking the piss out of Meg and Chris saying/doing something stupid as mandatory, with the other characters coming in for a trademark catchphrase/sketch. Not funny or clever. Just annoying, stupid and shit, I fucking hate it and I hate it even more when people go on about how good it is and "quoting" the shitty lines which come from it.

Just about every Family Guy episode ever made.

As far as animated sitcoms go, it's definitly of the worst i've ever seen, I mean this show literally tries too hard to be funny and random does not equal funny, it just shows that they have no actual (or original) ideas to convey. Making fun out of celebrities is funny if you know how to do it right, not just a lame parody of one of their shows/films. South Park does this all much, much better, it completely destroys Family Guy and I find myself genuinely laughing out loud at it- it's consistently entertaining and has just gone from strength to strength, I wasn't a big fan of it at first but now it's just superb; funny, ridiculous and very clever, especially with the topics it tackles. And, even though The Simpsons is very weak now and not as good as it used to be, I'll still say that it is better than the rubbish that is Family Guy.

And both The Simpsons and South Park have both humiliated Family Guy at hilarious levels in some really great episodes; so kudos to them at calling out one of the most tedious, annoyingly random for the sake of being random unfunny animated attempts at satire ever. Give it up, Seth McFarlane. Or think of good material....Oh wait, he can't, becuase when Family Guy got cancelled and he tried to think of a new series he came up with American Dad...which was exactly the same as Family Guy, even down to the same lame characters and sketches. And his voices gets tiresome too.

Hellraiser remake news/thoughts

Just had to comment on this as it strikes me as rather worrying. Director Pascal Laugier (who recently did the well received fantastic Martyrs (review up soon)) spoke to Sci Fi Wire about the upcoming Hellraiser remake (which I'm really excited about seeing as it's one of my favourite horror series' if not my one and only favourite), which he said will be a reboot of the franchise and will retain the "transgressive material" of the original.

"The idea behind Hellraiser is not to do a remake — it's to do what they call a reboot — that is to say, a new version," said Laugier. "So what I am proposing to Dimension, the studio behind Hellraiser, is some elements coming from the first film mixed with brand-new stuff."

He added: "My main problem, honestly, with the Hellraiser reboot is that Hellraiser is very transgressive material. It deals with S&M and gay issues, and I really want to be faithful to the book and Clive Barker's world. I don't want to betray him. So if I have the feeling that I am being asked by Hollywood to soften the franchise, I will leave in a blink."

Now, hold on a second: GAY ISSUES!? Hellraiser has NOTHING TO DO with gay issues, as far as I am aware nothing at all, it's more religious than anything remotely resembling homosexual subjects! Oh, so the Cenobites dress in leather and love S and M, that makes them deal with gay issues? HOW?! Man, this guy has no clue....he's got to speak to Barker and get him involved or he's going to go in the wrong direction.

There's nothing homosexual about Hellraiser, though, whatsoever, not even innuendos. It's about pain and pleasure, S and M fetishes, going beyond limits, beings from alternate universes, religious subtext, fantasy, horror, etc- but there is nothing gay about it, not in the original novel or the film series. Hellraiser is just so much more than meets the eye, yes it's about sex and lust, desire, pain and pleasure but beyond that is is revolutionary in it's ideas, almost mind-blowing; it destroys typical conventions, it explores dimensions, alternate universes, breaking down barriers, going beyond established Judea-christian religious subtexts and limits, it's psychological in it's aspects as it is scientific- it's epic fantasy and horror fused together to create a universe we've never really seen before. It's not just about gore and sex, though it is part of it and relevant it's also completely beyond that.

Unless I'm wrong I totally do not see anything homosexual about the characters; Cenobites or humans, or story for that matter. Barker himself described the Cenobites sporting a sort of "neo-punk" fashion, though they are meant to be beings of a high order; "theologians of the Order of the Gash". There's nothing gay about it, in fact in the novel they are described as sexually ambiguous, conforming to neither gender. Saying Hellraiser deals with "gay issues" just shows that they have no idea or grasp of what the actual concept is about. Yes it is unusual and I guess "queer" in it's sense of difference but "gay issues" is a rather narrow term to use, I think.

People I think have the wrong idea about it if they see gay stuff in it as that is not the premise, and certainly not an issue.

Anyway, regarding the movie I think this "remake/reboot" should be set in London, England, and have 55 Ludovico Street situated there as it is in the original novella. I think it would be brilliant to have it set in as it would also give it that unique gothic horror feel, being among the sights and sounds of London town- it's just too generic to have it set in the US like every other Hollywood movie these days, that's what made the first two films stand out because it looked so visibly different from the other flicks which were set in America.

My thoughts:

-Set it in London, England- like the original movie and the novel.
-get British actors, with the exception of one or two, but Frank has to be British, as does Pinhead, and preferably Julia.
-no dubbing out English voices this time!
-show more of London town, especially when Julia is out picking up victims in bars.

I think it would work really well, even though it's not a British production, I think the setting and background of London is just so much tighter and Gothic for the material than the US. I hope this new re-imagining/reboot goes back to the roots, the later sequels were missing this element.

And regarding my dream cast for the movie:

My picks:

Kirsty Cotton---Emily Blunt (one of my favourite actresses right now though I can also see Kiera Knightly doing an excellent job)
Julia---Famke Jansen
Frank Cotton---Andy Serkis, Dominic West or Jason Isaacs (all fantastic actors who would play the part well though I can't seem to decide who)
Rory/Larry---Richard Armitage (pictured)
Pinhead/Lead Cenobite---Tom Hardy (a popular fan favourite, pictured)

I think Famke would be a perfect choice for Clare Higgins' successor as the woman who kills for her forbidden lover in this version, even though Famke is a bit weary on horror movies.

Well, I'm inclined to think that Hellraiser is a little more than "horror". It's every much a character drama too, a lethal 3 way liaison between two men, a film about lust, betrayal, obsession, desire, the epitome of high Gothic horror/romance, as if something written by Edgar Allan Poe etc...something which Famke can easily get her teeth into and in all honestly something I think is suited to her, made for her even; I can't think of a better person who has such a powerful screen presence, especially when the character itself is turns from a normal loving woman who has an affair and then becomes a cold-blooded icy murderer. Julia is supposed to be a beautiful woman with a hidden secret whose transformation is slow and drawn out, the audience is both on her side and against her, which I also think is a very interesting dynamic. There's just too much in the character and film for her to work with, I think she would be phenomenal.

It is just so much more than a typical horror film, it definitely stands above your normal run-of-the-mill genre stuff and so it needs better than average actors to pull it off, and I think these guys are simply perfect for the roles.