EDITOR’S NOTE:
It’s not often that filmmakers contact YOU and are willing to write an article FOR you, but Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead don’t play by the same rules as most. Either that, or they’re workaholic masochists who fill every waking moment of their day with project-related tasks pertaining to creation, implementation, and even promotional content. So why did I let them write a little thinkpiece about their favorite creature effects in cinema? Because I’m lazy, and it’s another article that I don’t have to write! Ha, just kidding. Well, OK, only half kidding.
This article came about because I fell in love with their latest release, Spring, and I wanted to hear more about where their practical influences came from. I absolutely ADORE Spring, which I caught at last year’s Fantastic Fest, where it earned one of my only five-star reviews of the year. Everyone has already exhausted comparisons from “Linklater meets H.P. Lovecraft” to “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days meets Alien,” but there’s an odd sense of truth to each increasingly insane descriptor. Spring is full of raw emotion, powerful relationships, and gooey practical effects that challenge why anyone would rely completely on CGI. Horror fans, this is the date movie you’ve been waiting for.
But everything starts out as an idea, and with that said, I wanted to give Benson and Moorhead the chance to explain where their horrific creation came from. From here I’m going to let the two filmmaking buddies take over and explain which movies terrified them, rattled their cores, and made them cry man tears – all thanks to proper effects.
Take it away, Justin and Aaron!