Spotlight : January 1997

More Effects Briefs
By Todd Vaziri

  • Columbia/Tri-Star has announced that their summer release, STARSHIP TROOPERS will no longer be a summer release. The studio has pushed back the film's release date until November--it had previously slated the film for a July release. The effects for the film are being supervised by Ken Ralston, and provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Tippett Studio.

    The studio opted for the later release date because of their impression that this summer will be saturated with big-time action/effects releases, and they didn't want STARSHIP to get lost in the shuffle.

    Links: STARSHIP TROOPERS, Sony Pictures Imageworks

  • The 'long list' of visual effects nominees for the Academy Awards was announced. The films include DRAGONHEART, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, TWISTER, INDEPENDENCE DAY, MARS ATTACKS!, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT and THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. Representatives from each film will make their case to the visual effects branch of the Academy. After the votes are tabulated, the top three vote-getters will be the nominees for the Oscar in visual effects.

    On the whole, I am very pleased with this list. The seven films all contained fantastic images, but I feel that an excellent film was overlooked. With over 500 effects shots and some brilliant CG work, THE FRIGHTENERS was passed up, probably because it was produced entirely outside of Hollywood. My prediction is that the final nominees will be TWISTER, INDEPENDENCE DAY and DRAGONHEART.

    Links: DRAGONHEART, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, TWISTER, MARS ATTACKS!, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, THE FRIGHTENERS, VFX HQ at the Oscars


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