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Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

The Boxtrolls character concepts, costumes, faces and figures on display...

Sunday, June 15, 2014

To help promote the forthcoming new 3D animated feature from Portland-based Laika Studios, The Boxtrolls, Universal Studios Hollywood had an extensive display of character concepts, costumes, faces and stop-motion figures on display at the NBC Universal Experience exhibit on April 15, 2014.

Original stop-moption character figures 
and concept designs from The Boxtrolls
The Boxtrolls character stop-motion figures
The Boxtrolls stop-motion exhibit
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Snatcher figure
Archibald Snatcher stop-motion robot The Boxtrolls
Archibald Snatcher stop-motion figure The Boxtrolls
The Boxtrolls stop-motion character figures
The movie is based on Alan Snow's fantasy adventure novel Here Be Monsters! and follows past Laika stop-motion animation movies, Coraline and ParaNorman, but is a hybrid of stop-motion and computer-generated effects.

The Boxtrolls movie poster
The Boxtrolls movie poster
The story follows a young orphaned boy named 'Eggs' in a Victorian-Era town who has been raised by a race of subterranean cavern-dwelling trash-collecting creatures, who must be saved by their human ward when they are targeted by an evil pest exterminator named 'Archibald Snatcher'.

The Boxtrolls stop-motion character figures
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Eggs character figure
The Boxtrolls character designs
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Archibald Snatcher figure
The Boxtrolls stop-motion character figures
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Winnie figure
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Lord Portley-Rind figure
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Lord Portley-Rind figure
The Boxtrolls stop-motion oil character figure
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Winnie Lady Portley-Rind figures
The Boxtrolls stop-motion Lady Portley-Rind figure
The Boxtrolls stop-motion character figure
I'm always amazed at the sheer detail that goes into stop-motion creations, from the miniature costumes and faces, to the intricate sets these puppets inhabit, just look at the elaborate detail of the 'Lord and Lady Portley-Rind' characters.

Underground cave set from The Boxtrolls
The Boxtrolls Underground cave set exhibit
Boxtrolls Underground cave stop-motion figures
The Boxtrolls Underground cave set stop-motion figures
The Boxtrolls who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells, live beneath the town of Cheesebridge and exist by dumpster-diving and collecting the junk left behind by the town's residents, although the townspeople believe they emerge from the sewers to steal their cheese and children at night.

If you like this Laika Studios exhibit, be sure to also check out these stop-motion puppets and sets from ParaNorman and from the world of Coraline.

The Boxtrolls stop-motion facial expression and components
The Boxtrolls stop-motion faces
Boxtroll stop-motion face components
The Boxtrolls stop-motion faces components exhibit
Plus if you're a stop-motion animation fan, be sure to also check out these stop-motion maquettes and models from Frankenweenie and this Fantastic Mr. Fox movie set on display.

The Boxtrolls in cinemas September 2014
The Boxtrolls matchbox character puppet
Buy the book the movie is based on: Here Be Monsters! (The Ratbridge Chronicles)

Marty McFly Western costume and film props from the Back to the Future movies on display...

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Ever since the restored original DeLorean time-machine car from Back to the Future went on display at Universal Studios Hollywood last year, there's been a constant supply of different original costumes and props from the science-fiction trilogy on display to accompany the iconic 'hero car' each time I've been back to visit.
Original costume and props from the Back to the Future Trilogy
Back to the Future movie costume props
Marty McFly Western costume Back to the Future III
Back to the Future III film costume props
Universal Studios Hollywood costume prop archive exhibit
On this occasion this cowboy poncho worn by Michael J. Fox in the film, by Costume Designer Joanna Johnston, was on display beside authentic screen-used props from Back to the Future II on April 15, 2014.

Old West poncho worn by Michael J. Fox as 
Marty McFly in Back to the Future III
Marty McFly Western poncho Back to the Future III
Marty McFly Back to the Future III movie costume
In 1990's Back to the Future III 'Marty McFly' travels back in time to the Old West and meets his great-great grandparents 'Seamus' and 'Maggie', and as he can't tell them his real name, he calls himself 'Clint Eastwood', hence the poncho look.

If you like this outfit, be sure to also take a look at Marty McFly's atomic cowboy costume from the third installment in this time-traveling trilogy, plus check out Mary SteenBurgen's Clara Clayton gowns from Back to the Future III too.

Back to the Future II trashcan movie prop
Back to the Future II Litter bug trashcan movie prop
Back to the Future II Litter bug trashcan prop
It may be nostalgic to see these props on display, but it's almost laughable to see what the filmmakers envisioned the future would look like, flying high-tech trashcans, hooverboards and even Mr. Fusion home energy reactors that could turn garbage into clean energy.

Although the scary thing to think about is, in the future there won't be as many of these kinds of props anymore to exhibit, as they'll all be created by CGI special effects.

Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor film prop 
from Back to the Future II
Back to the Future II Mr Fusion film prop
Mr Fusion movie prop Back to the Future II
In 1989's sequel Marty McFly travels with 'Doc Brown' from 1985 to the year 2015 to help save his son, so there's not much time for these inventions to become part of everyday life.

Buy the movies: Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy

Fun screen-used props featured in Muppets Most Wanted on display...

Friday, March 28, 2014

Muppets Most Wanted may not be setting any U.S. box office records compared to the 2011 The Muppets big screen revival, but I thought this latest cinematic outing of Jim Henson's creations was great fun, with all your favourite Muppets in character and with some stand out musical numbers, like 'The Big House' and 'I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)'.
Original movie props from Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Interpol Le Maximum car
Original Muppets Most Wanted film props
Original Muppets Most Wanted costumes props
Screen-used Muppets Most Wanted movie props
Muppets Most Wanted movie prop exhibit
Muppets Most Wanted costume prop exhibit El Capitan Theatre
Having seen the comedy crime caper it was also pretty cool to see these screen-used props from the film in person, on display with Miss Piggy's couture costumes from Muppets Most Wanted at the infamous El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on March 21, 2014.

Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
In the Muppets newest adventure, after their comeback the gang are convinced to go on a world tour by Ricky Gervais' 'Dominic Badguy', who is in league with a 'Kermit the Frog' imposter and master criminal, 'Constantine'. Meanwhile whilst Kermit is thrown into a Russian Gulag where Tina Fey is the warden, the diabolical duo use the Muppets stage shows to distract from their crime heists, with the ultimate goal to steal England's Crown Jewels.

With no Kermit to manage the show, all kinds of things go on that would never have happened, like an extra long sleep-inducing music gig by 'Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem', including fan-favourite 'Animal' on drums.

Animal's drum set props from Muppets Most Wanted
Animals drum set props Muppets Most Wanted
Animal's drum set Muppets Most Wanted props
Muppets Most Wanted Animal drum set movie props
Muppets Most Wanted Animal's drum set
Original Muppets Most Wanted Animal's drum set
Here's Animal's percussion drum set on display from the movie, plus the band's colourful loudspeakers.

The Muppets world tour takes them to Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London, and here's Miss Piggy's Berlin dressing room set on display. The German translation of The Muppets makes for a nice visual language gag with the 'Die Muppets' venue sign.

Miss Piggy's Berlin dressing room set from Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room set Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room set
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room table
Miss Piggy Berlin backstage dressing room Muppets
Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room Muppets Most Wanted
Even though this Berlin set doesn't appear in the movie for long, it goes to show how much work and effort, and the little touches, that go into creating the Muppets world.

If you like this fun backstage room set, be sure to check out these recreations of Kermit's office and Miss Piggy's dressing room from The Muppets movie in 2011.

Authentic Muppets Most Wanted movie props
Muppets Most Wanted Russian Gulag prison crown
Gulag prison crown prop Muppets Most Wanted
Colonel Thomas Blood painting prop Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted map locket key props
Muppets Most Wanted locket movie prop
Muppets Most Wanted locket film prop
Muppets Most Wanted key movie prop
Constantine and his henchman's crime spree through the galleries and vaults of Europe is actually a quest to find clues to help them steal the British Crown Jewels. To do this they steal a painting of 'Colonel Thomas Blood' which has a secret treasure map on the back, which leads them to a golden locket and key in the Irish National Bank in Dublin.

Ricky Gervais bust from Muppets Most Wanted
Ricky Gervais bust prop Muppets Most Wanted
The bust from Madrid's museum is actually an ancestor of Dominic Badguy and the coins at the base are the calling card of his criminal persona, 'The Lemur', which he leaves at the scene of a crime.

By thew way the knight statues above are from the Tower of London vault where the Crown Jewels are kept.

In the movie Ty Burrell plays a French Interpol inspector, 'Jean Pierre Napoleon', trying to solve these crimes with the aid of the CIA's 'Sam the Eagle'.

Badge credential props from Muppets Most Wanted
Giant CIA badge prop Muppets Most Wanted
Giant CIA badge Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted giant CIA badge prop
Law enforcement badge credential props Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted police badge props
Muppets Most Wanted CIA badge briefcase prop
Ty Burrell Muppets Most Wanted Interpol ID badge prop
Sam the Eagle Muppets Most Wanted CIA ID badge prop
Sam the Eagle Muppets Most Wanted CIA ID
These I.D. credential props are from a fun scene where the international law enforcement agents try to one-up each other with the size of their badges, and you can also see more if you take a look at Ty Burrell's Interpol badge costume from Muppets Most Wanted on display at ArcLight Sherman Oaks cinema. As you can see, Sam the Eagle wins this battle of wills when his giant CIA badge arrives via UPS carrier.

Le Maximum Interpol car prop from Muppets Most Wanted
Le Maximum Interpol car prop Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Le Maximum Interpol car
Muppets Most Wanted tiny Interpol car prop
Muppets Most Wanted tiny Interpol car
Muppets Most Wanted Le Maximum tiny Interpol car prop
And finally, another one of these tiny green Le Maximum Interpol car props was on display at ArcLight Sherman Oaks, but the El Capitan Theatre also had one in their foyer for cinema goers to enjoy.

As you can see there was a wealth of fantastic props to enjoy and you can see them all in person at the Hollywood venue, along with the costumes and Miss Piggy's Vivienne Westwood wedding dress, until April 17, 2014. 

Muppets Most Wanted movie billboard
Muppets Most Wanted movie billboard
Buy the movie soundtrack: Muppets Most Wanted