Silent Hill
Creatures Unleashed and Creature Choreography

In the 2006 adaptation of the Silent Hill video game series, there are several different types of monsters in the film that required a lot of work to create. In the first special fx featurette on the DVD, Creatures Unleashed, we get to see the people who play these creatures and what they have to go through in the makeup room to become them. The makings of the costumes are highlighted as well as the functions of each one. For example, there is a discussion on vision obstruction, and what the actors need to do in order to successfully play the roles of the monsters without being able to see their surroundings. In the second featured documentary on the film, Creature Choreography, we get to take a close look at how each monster’s movement was developed, as well as the casting for the roles, and how specific sequences involving multiple monsters were choreographed.

Hostel II
Behind KBN Effects

Although this DVD featurette is under ten minutes, it shows the secrets behind pulling off all of the best kill scenes in “Hostel II.” In it, we get to hear director Eli Roth talk about what it takes to create the perfect “gag” and how we know that the gags are working. We also get to see how some of the effects that appear to be the most complicated are really the most simple. If you enjoyed the kill scenes in the film, this is one of the most worthwhile special features that you can look into on the DVD, because it’s quick, entertaining and in-depth. Plus, when isn’t it amusing to hear Eli Roth explain something?

Inside
An In-Depth Look at
the Making of “Inside”

If you are an absolutely blood thirsty film viewer who sometimes can enjoy a film with real motivation rather than mindless violence, “Inside” is the perfect film for you, and the Making Of feature is almost as good as the movie itself. The only catch to it is that it is a French film, and while you can watch the film dubbed in English, subtitles are your only option on the featurette. The Making Of is nearly an hour long, and it explores all aspects of the film, with a focus on the film’s realistic special fx. Considering that this is an extremely realistic horror film, a great deal of what is talked about in the featurette is how many aspects of filmmaking are used to ensure the realism of the special fx used in the film. It takes a much different approach to showing the audience what goes into making blood and gore, because it not only shows us how it’s done, but it explains the reasoning behind it, how it contributes to the film, and lastly how it affects the actors and actresses who have to use it.


Re-Animator
Re-Animator Resurrectus

When the two-disk version of “Re-Animator” was released on DVD, a 70-minute featurette on the making of the film was released along with it. Because the movie was made in the first half of the 1980s, the filmmakers didn’t have the advantage of using the green screen in the manner that it’s used in films today, so there wasn’t a single effect in the film that was not made by hand, and nothing was enhanced with computers. In the featurette, we get to see how each old-school effect was created, and how each trick was handled without looking cheap or ineffective. There’s nothing we miss on this featurette; it covers everything from the old severed head trick to the animal attack. “Re-Animator” certainly has very fun effects, even if they are unrealistic at points, so it’s definitely interesting to see the difference in this featurette on a film that didn’t mind being campy, as compared to some of the others featured in this article.

Hatchet
Behind the
Scenes Featurette

Lastly, I’ll focus on what I consider to be one of the best slasher films of recent years, “Hatchet.” In the Behind the Scenes documentary on the DVD, we get a look into what it takes to create a horror film today using all hand-made effects that can still compete with those what use Computer Generated Imagery, while paying homage to old films, and managing to create completely original death scenes. By watching this featurette, we learn that this film uses everything from prosthetics, to homemade gas-powered murder devices (that actually work!), and even a little claymation. This film uses old tricks in new ways, and we get to see how everything’s done, including the make-up and costuming used in creating super slasher, Victor Crowley.