The Seven Gods of Chaos
In the coldest regions of space, the monstrous entities Ogdru Jahad — the seven gods of chaos — slumber in their crystal prison, waiting to reclaim Earth… and burn the heavens. Des Vermis Mysteriis, page 87
Author: the monster philologist
I'm always bored and monsters were the first thing to entertain me
Abe Sapien Returns
Abraham Sapien returned in Hellboy: The Golden Army. Jones reprised the role, and the creature design was largely kept the same, although lighter color tones and different schemes were used for certain areas of the skin. Although the design was the same, the much larger onscreen presence throughout the film dictated a different approach to… Read More Abe Sapien Returns
Exclusive: Interview with Paul Taglianetti!
Following our brief conversations, filmmaker Paul Taglianetti agreed to do an interview with me! Paul has worked on many famous films, but of course in this interview we focus on the creature effects he collaborated on over the years.
Shelob
The conspicuous presence of spiders in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth imaginarium is rooted in Arachnophobia, an irrational fear Tolkien’s son, Michael, was affected by. In the universe of Arda, the spiders were originally spawned by a single being — Ungoliant, a massive demonic entity which entered Middle Earth before the First Age, perhaps one of… Read More Shelob
Special: Of Dragons and Wyverns – Part 2
The overall idea we now have of the so-called “Western” dragon is the result of a stratified conflation of different traditions, and this process culminated in the Middle Ages, wherein traditional dragons, due to their innate serpentine quality, as well as common traits with the Leviathan of the Book of Job, began to be… Read More Special: Of Dragons and Wyverns – Part 2
Special: Of Dragons and Wyverns – Part 1
Here be Dragons. When a dragon in a fantasy work — be it a novel, a film, or a videogame — is depicted as having just two wings (often also locomotory limbs) and two legs, the argument is often made that “it is not a dragon; it has two wings and two legs, therefore it… Read More Special: Of Dragons and Wyverns – Part 1
Exclusive – Relic Kothoga pictures from Paul Taglianetti!
Paul Taglianetti is a film producer, photographer, and writer who has worked on many iconic films as visual effects producer and coordinator. He currently teaches digital media at Mission San Jose in Fremont, CA — one of the most prestigious highsSchools in California, with previous film classes held at Quinnipiac University and Idyllwild Arts Academy.… Read More Exclusive – Relic Kothoga pictures from Paul Taglianetti!
Monster Gallery: Ghostbusters (1984)
Main Articles: The Gatekeeper and the Keymaster Gozer the Gozerian
The Gatekeeper and the Keymaster
Among the vast array of creature effects that Entertainment Effects Group had to arrange for Ghostbusters, a rather large role had to be filled by the Terror Dogs: Gozer the Gozerian’s loyal servants, whose purpose is to open the portal that allows the travelling entity to set foot on a new world to conquer.
Special: Monster Legacy’s Monstrous Hundred – Part 4
In the last part of the Monstrous Hundred, here’s a carousel of films from the 2000s onwards! Pitch Black (2000) This film packs a clever, outside-the-box narrative with an equally interesting subversive man as its main character, pitting him and an unlikely crew against swarms of truly outlandish alien creatures that are neither hammerhead sharks,… Read More Special: Monster Legacy’s Monstrous Hundred – Part 4
Monster Legacy 