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Gutsy effects: the Straus brothers maximize fear in Alien Vs. Predator.(visual Effects)(Greg and Colin Straus)(Interview)
Greg Straus and his brother, Colin, are well known to readers of Computer Graphics World as founders of the VFX studios Hydraulx and Lola, where they led the visual fleets work for Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 300, X-Men: The Last Stand, Poseidon, The Day After Tomorrow, and other films. Greg received a VES nomination and BAFTA award for Best Visual Effects for The Day After Tomorrow, and he and Colin received a VES nomination for Best Visual Effects in a music video called Black Suits Comin' for Will Smith."
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The recent Alien us. Predator: Requiem marks their directorial debut, and as directors and visual effects supervisors for this film, they have big boots to fill: Ridley Scott's Alien won the best visual effects Oscar in 1980, as did James Cameron's liens in 1987. And, Predator (John McTieman) and Alien 3 (David Fincher) received scar nominations for best visual effects in 1988 and 1993, respectively. The most cent film in the franchise, though, Paul WS Anderson's AVP: Alien vs. Predator, received a Razzie award in 2005 for the worst remake or sequel. The Straus brothers mission is to bring the franchise back to its roots. In this movie, the aliens and predators have taken their battle to a small Colorado town.
Q Why did you want to do this film?
A We saw the script. They were going for the small-town horror-film feel, and our take on it was to go even more Texas Chain Saw Massacre with it. We felt they had drifted away from what made the originals so popular. I don't think there re a whole lot of scares in the last couple of movies, nothing that keeps you as tense and on the edge of seat as Alien or Aliens. So it was important for us to capture that intensity and scariness. Aliens are horrific and scary, and we think the tone of the movie should reflect that.
Q Are you a particular fan of the horror-movie genre?
A Yeah. But, this is not just a horror film; we have a sci-fi, suspense-thriller thread in the beginning, and then by the end of the movie, it takes a little more of an action-film twist. We thought it was cool to combine sci fi with horror. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
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