A film that comes thirty years in the making from visual effects artist and director Phil Tippet, a man who has visual effects credits for projects such as 'Starwars', 'Robocop' and 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'. He is more famously know for being Steven Spielberg's choice to provide the stopmotion animation for the Dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park'. However, once the decision was made to the use CGI Dinosaurs in replacement of stop motion animation, Tippet's reaction was 'I think, I'm extinct'. It was at this point that his on-going project 'Mad God' was shelved. That is until 20 years later, when, with the encouragement of members of his studio, Tippett began work on the project again. This is a film that is going to be very divisive amongst horror fans. It is an entire stop motion production, with the exception of a few minor scenes featuring actors Alex Cox and Niketa Roman and that is something that is only going to appeal to a selective group of people. Adding to that, this doesn't contain a single word of dialogue, something else I feel might cause certain people to lose interest in the story telling aspect of the plot. This was not something I found to be an issue for me during my watch. I was completely engrossed from start to finish, amazed my the shear talent on display. Featuring some incredibly creative cinematography from both Tippett and co-cinematographer Chris Morley, and filming these scale models in such a way that provides such a sense of grandure whilst focusing in on the small details on screen is really testament to the directors dedication to this project. Considering this is entirely stop motion, all of the sound design has to be created in post production by Foley artists, who recreates the realistic ambient sounds that the film portrays. I couldn't help but notice how impactful the sound design and score were throughout this production, really helping create a sense of genuine reality within a scene. The extremely imaginative set design and world building is the main focus of this this films plot. As a viewer, we’re taken on a journey through mutant waste lands in a decaying world, with character creations and landscapes that are some of the most nightmare fueled imagery I have seen. One scene in particular stood out to me featuring a baby-babbling collection of computer monitors showing teeth and flesh as it controls a mass of mutated miners, a genuinely horrifying combination of visual and sound effects that will stay with me for some time. If, like me, you are a fan of stop motion animation and can appreciate the artistry and patience that goes into creating a project like this then I strongly believe that you will love 'Mad God'. I say that knowing that this isn't going to appeal to everyone, but if any of the qualities that I have touched upon peaks your curiosity then I think it's definitely worth every second of your time.
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