Les Hackel (James Marsters) is down on his luck. Maybe even worse when he wakes up to find that an explosive device has been implanted in his neck. Now, he must carry out heinous crimes in order to stay alive while trying to identify the mastermind ordering him to keep killing.
Also: This is a puppet movie.
Director and writer Evan Marlowe said, "We resolved (for some insane reason) to use only realistic lifelike hand puppets in actual settings, just like any other movie. No CGI backgrounds or actors wearing prosthetic makeup. This sort of thing has never been done. The Dark Crystal comes close, though there, the designers weren't bound by the confines of reality. We've had a few incredibly skilled people helping out. Jeff Farley has been our lead puppet fabricator. Again, this kind of work isn't common, so some amount of trial and error has been needed to find the balance of aesthetic, durability and function. Meaning, the heads need to look great on camera, hold up well under shooting environments that are often hostile,and let the puppeteer emote without too much effort. When it comes to the actual shoot, our puppeteer Danny Montooth lip syncs with each line, played on loop on my magical iPad until all the aspects (lighting, camera movement, mouth motion, eye line) are just right. Once I've got the footage, I edit it up and then our visual effects guy John Sellings smooths out any problems. When a scene is done, it gets color-corrected and graded, and then the sound and score are added."
It took six years to make this movie.
It also has an incredible voice cast, including Sid Haig, Robert Englund, Jordan Peele and Christopher McDonald.
There hasn't been a movie ever before that looks or feels like this.
For those that can get past just how strange it looks to have human-sized puppets in every role, this movie is pretty awesome. Reality pretty much falls apart as Les has to place poison gas in workplaces, watches assassination TV shows and even is forced to slice the head off a baby, one which soon sprouts tentacles. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Can we even be sure after the end?
If you want to see a movie that goes all the way and beyond, Abruptio is for you.
Also: This is a puppet movie.
Director and writer Evan Marlowe said, "We resolved (for some insane reason) to use only realistic lifelike hand puppets in actual settings, just like any other movie. No CGI backgrounds or actors wearing prosthetic makeup. This sort of thing has never been done. The Dark Crystal comes close, though there, the designers weren't bound by the confines of reality. We've had a few incredibly skilled people helping out. Jeff Farley has been our lead puppet fabricator. Again, this kind of work isn't common, so some amount of trial and error has been needed to find the balance of aesthetic, durability and function. Meaning, the heads need to look great on camera, hold up well under shooting environments that are often hostile,and let the puppeteer emote without too much effort. When it comes to the actual shoot, our puppeteer Danny Montooth lip syncs with each line, played on loop on my magical iPad until all the aspects (lighting, camera movement, mouth motion, eye line) are just right. Once I've got the footage, I edit it up and then our visual effects guy John Sellings smooths out any problems. When a scene is done, it gets color-corrected and graded, and then the sound and score are added."
It took six years to make this movie.
It also has an incredible voice cast, including Sid Haig, Robert Englund, Jordan Peele and Christopher McDonald.
There hasn't been a movie ever before that looks or feels like this.
For those that can get past just how strange it looks to have human-sized puppets in every role, this movie is pretty awesome. Reality pretty much falls apart as Les has to place poison gas in workplaces, watches assassination TV shows and even is forced to slice the head off a baby, one which soon sprouts tentacles. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Can we even be sure after the end?
If you want to see a movie that goes all the way and beyond, Abruptio is for you.