A vampire named Saya, who is part of covert government agency that hunts and destroys demons in a post-WWII Japan, is inserted in a military school to discover which one of her classmates is a demon is disguise.
Director Chris Nahon fulfills the titular promise almost immediately, treating audiences to a dude getting cut in half lengthwise with a samurai sword and stuffed in the back of a subway car all before the opening credits.
Blood: The Last Vampire is a remake of an animated 2000 movie by the same name. They both feature a young-looking vampire named Saya (Gianna Jun), who hunts demons at an Air Force Base in Tokyo during the Vietnam War, getting sent undercover at a local high school. Violence breaks out, and Saya must protect Allison, a general’s daughter.
The film involves some maneuvering by the CIA, which must clean Saya’s messes while keeping the military out of the way.
Filming locations spanned the globe from China to Argentina
Make Up Department
Mike Elizalde … creature & makeup effects
David Beneke … dental prosthetics
Michael Davis … key hair stylist
Fernando Favila… production supervisor: Spectral Motion Inc.
Steve Koch … prosthetic designer and sculptor: Spectral Motion Inc.
Clayton Martinez… special makeup effects artist
James Ojala … special makeup effects crew: Spectral Motion
Suzanne Rodier … makeup department head
Special Effects Department
Suma Abuzaineh … seaming and patching department: Spectral Motion, Inc. Roland Blancaflor … prosthetic department supervisor
Kevin Carter … special effects contact lenses
Mary Elizalde … CFO: Spectral Motion Inc.
Eric Hayden … creature director
Bob Mano … mechanical designer: Spectral Motion Inc.
Brian Walsh … pre-build coordinator: Spectral Motion Inc
Jill Warner … production assistant: Spectral Motion
Diana Yun Soo Yoo … hair department supervisor: Spectral Motion
Here is the 2009 announcement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it extended 134 invitations to several artists and executives “who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures” read the press release.
Actors
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Gone Baby Gone
Emily Blunt – Sunshine Cleaning, The Devil Wears Prada
Michael Cera – Juno, Superbad
Viola Davis – Doubt, State of Play
James Franco – Milk, Spider-Man
Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges, Mission: Impossible II
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married, The Princess Diaries
Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hustle & Flow
Emile Hirsch – Into the Wild, Lords of Dogtown
Hugh Jackman – X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Prestige
Melissa Leo – Frozen River, 21 Grams
Jane Lynch – Role Models, The 40 Year-Old Virgin
Eddie Marsan – Happy-Go-Lucky, The Illusionist
James McAvoy – Atonement, The Last King of Scotland
Seth Rogen – Monsters vs. Aliens, Knocked Up
Paul Rudd – I Love You, Man, Knocked Up
Amy Ryan – Changeling, Gone Baby Gone
Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Michelle Williams – Wendy and Lucy, BrokebackMountain
Jeffrey Wright – Quantum of Solace, W.
Animators
J.J. Blumenkranz – Monster House, The Polar Express
Konstantin Bronzit – Lavatory-Lovestory, The Cat and the Fox
Like Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller before them, Guillermo del Toro and Troy Nixey will be working closely together on their new horror-film remake “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” which will star “Memento” actor Guy Pearce. Del Toro co-wrote and will produce the remake, with Nixey, a former comic book artist with credits on “Batman: Gotham Knights” and Matt Wagner’s “Grendel: Black, White & Red.”
News of Pearce’s recent casting in the movie showed up earlier today over on MTV Movies Blog, along with confirmation that the reworked ’70s ABC telefilm about a demon-possessed house would also feature Katie Holmes and young “Bridge to Terabithia” actress Bailee Madison.
In addition to being del Toro’s protégé, Nixey shares a common collaborator with the “Hobbit” director in “Hellboy” creator Mike Mignola. Nixey contributed artwork to Mignola’s “Jenny Finn” comics.
Thus far, Nixey’s only directorial credit is on his 2007 short film “Latchkey’s Lament,” so “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” should prove to be a big event in his career as his feature debut. Much as Miller had a bona fide star director looking over his shoulder with “Sin City,” Nixey should be getting the best guidance possible for his new venture with del Toro. It should be fun to see what comics’ latest shared human resource with the movie industry produces.
The story centers around a young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
GoreMaster Mike Elizalde is the creature design consultant. Mike has extensive credits including Land of the Lost, The Day the Earth Stood Still, X-Men: The Last Stand, Hellboy and so many more. Read more about Mike Elizalde HERE
BEST WIDE-RELEASE FILM HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
CLOVERFIELD
THE STRANGERS
THE RUINS
QUARANTINE Write-ins: FUNNY GAMES; DOOMSDAY; MIRRORS
BEST LIMITED-RELEASE/DIRECT-TO-VIDEO FILM LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
ROGUE
STUCK
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD Write-ins: INSIDE; MACHINE GIRL; MOTHER OF TEARS
BEST ACTOR Ron Perlman, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Kare Hedebrant, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Marc Senter, THE LOST
Trevor Matthews, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
Leo Bill, THE LIVING AND THE DEAD Write-ins: Brian Cox, RED; Anthony Stewart Head, REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA; Jay Hernandez, QUARANTINE; Kiefer Sutherland, MIRRORS
BEST ACTRESS Lina Leandersson, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Naomi Watts, FUNNY GAMES
Eliza Dushku, THE ALPHABET KILLER
Jess Weixler, TEETH
Alysson Paradis, INSIDE Write-ins: Asia Argento, MOTHER OF TEARS; Jennifer Carpenter, QUARANTINE; Liv Tyler, THE STRANGERS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Doug Jones, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
TIE: Michael Pitt, FUNNY GAMES/Vinnie Jones, THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN
Robert Englund, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
A.J. Bowen, THE SIGNAL Write-ins: Luke Goss, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY; Jean-Pierre Jorris, FRONTIER(S); Noah Segan, DEADGIRL
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Beatrice Dalle, INSIDE
Anna Walton, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Lauren Roy, THE CHAIR
Jennifer Ellison, THE COTTAGE
Lou Doillon, SISTERS Write-ins: Selma Blair, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY; Megan Henning, THE LOST; Mylene Jampanoi, MARTYRS; Laura Ramsey, THE RUINS
BEST SCREENPLAY John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
Guillermo del Toro, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Mitchell Lichtenstein, TEETH
TIE: John Ainslie, Jon Knautz, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER/John Strysik, STUCK Write-in: Dario Argento, Adam Gierasch, Jace Anderson, MOTHER OF TEARS
BEST SCORE John Soderqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
tomandandy, THE STRANGERS
TIE: Michael Giacchino, CLOVERFIELD/Ryan Shore, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
Robert Miller, TEETH Write-ins: Danny Elfman, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY; Claudio Simonetti, MOTHER OF TEARS
BEST MAKEUP/CREATURE FX Mike Elizalde, Cliff Wallace, David Martí, Montse Ribé, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Robert Hall, QUARANTINE
David Scott, JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
Jacques-Olivier Molon, INSIDE
Todd Tucker, Drac Studios, TRAILER PARK OF TERROR Write-in: John Cox, ROGUE
WORST FILM
The top five vote-getters were: PROM NIGHT
CLOVERFIELD
THE HAPPENING
SAW V
TWILIGHT
With a tie for second place here, we’re inducting three new members into the FANGORIA HORROR HALL OF FAME: Doug Jones, Forrest J Ackerman and Roger Corman.
With a budget of 100 million dollars , Land of the Lost retells the story of a classic ‘70’s TV show. For those unfamiliar, here’s the storyline:
On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride). In this alternate universe, the trio makes friends with a primate named Chaka (Jorma Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Can they all make it back to our world alive, and if so: Will Dr. Marshall can go from zero to hero with his discoveries?
Look for dinosaurs and the return of the Sleestaks in this adventure/sci-fi/comedy.
IMDB list these talented folks in the Makeup and Special Effects Departments:
Steve Artmont ( Contact ,Constantine , Step Brothers ) is the makeup department head
Roland Blancaflor (Total Recall ,300, Hook) is the prosthetic department supervisor/speciality costumes
Mike Elizalde (Men in Black, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, X-Men: The Last Stand) is the creature and makeup effects designer
Bart Mixon (Iron Man, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest , X-Men: The Last Stand) is the special makeup effects artist
Brian Walsh (Fantastic Four, Hellboy, Lady in the Water) is the makeup production supervisor: Spectral Motion, Inc
Michael Lantieri (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest) is the special effects supervisor
Russell Lukich ( Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Jurassic Park III ) is the on set supervisor: Key Sculptor, Puppeteer: Spectral Motion
Brent Baker (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Spider-Man, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer) is the mold department and life-casting supervisor: Spectral Motion.
Eryn Krueger Mekash applying butt bruise to Zoe Bell
Makeup artist Eryn Krueger Mekash took some time out of her hectic film and television schedule to graciously answer some questions for GoreMaster. Some of Eryn’s impressive list of credits include: Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003), Letters From Iwo Jima (2006), Alpha dog (2006), Nip/Tuck TV series, and Prom Night (2008). She shares her story and how much the”old school” makeup effects influenced her decision to become a “killer” makeup artist.
