Oversized human animetronics with air bladders.

Oversized human sculptures are wonderfully great, they looked realistic and their fantastic! But I just had a thought, What if they somehow can make giant inflated balloons and place them underneath the oversized human skin latex to make them look like their giant faces are bulging. I'm talking about giant inflatable balloons underneath oversized human animatronic latex skins!! I think that would be horrifying and cool!!! I seriously think that they should make a lot of short weird body mutation films about it.                                                                          

                                            

Comments

  • In the DVD "The Howling"  Robert Picardo who played 'Eddy' commented about being covered with condoms and air bladders for the transformation scenes.  It was an interesting talk about his very first film exposure.
    Nowdays we better know him as the holographic doctor from Voyager, or Wolsly of Stargate Atlantis. 

  • You know something, when Robert Picardo played as Eddie Quist in the movie "The Howling" you can't even recognize him!
  • edited September 2016
    David Boccabella, do you know any twenty or fifty other special effects that are similar to this monster transformation, such as air bladders FX?
  • Hmm.. Air bladders are not used that much as the deformations were easier to do in CGI however look at some of the older horror movies from the late 70-80.

    One comes to mind and that is Altered States, and then the classic scene from "Big Trouble in Little China" where the storm guy inflates and explodes.

    Also look for movies re outer space. The decompression sequences are often done with air bladders. Outland is one that comes to mind.

    And there were 2 James Bond movies too.
    One where someone swallowed a gas cartridge and exploded (Live and let die??), and another where someone was put in to a decompression chamber.. compressed and then rapidly decompressed (Octopussy??)

    In real life there are very few incidents re decompressing and 'exploding' however the main one that comes to mind is the Byford Dolphin incident.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byford_Dolphin
    Where the divers went from 9 atmoth to 1 instantly. There are some images and they are not for the faint hearted.

    Hope this helps
    Dave




  • Thank you David!
  • Sorry - Not Octopussy..   Licensed to Kill  :)
  • That's OK! Thanks again. :)
  • edited September 2016
    Hey David, do you know many other films or TV shows where a alien bulges from a man's neck like the one in "Star Trek: TNG" 'Conspiracy'?

    Image result for star trek TNG Conspiracy neck bulge
  • Not immediately.
    However the remake of "The Thing" - if you can find the original experiments- are all practical effects with air bladders etc.
    And "Harbinger Down" is a practical effects movie too - if you can find the 'Making Of' there are a lot of scenes re air bladders and other effects.

    Dave
  • Ummm... that's not exactly what I had in mind, I'm talking about just all weird inflated throat special FX scenes. Can you please do some research and find at least 60 different scenes of (Inflatable Throats) when you get a chance? I've been doing some research myself numbers of times and I had only found the ones that I've already seen before like 'Conspiracy' episode from "STAR TREK: TNG", "THE X FILES" episode 'Firewalker', the 1985 horror movie "The Stuff", and the 1996 horror movie "Jack Frost".
  • Hi Eddie
    Sorry - like yourself I am a busy person and can do a little research for folks.
    Apart from the instances that I have mentioned (noted from films I have watched) I don;t have any more.
    Dave
  • I can't help but feel like you want David to do your homework... That is not intended as an insult. It is just an observation.

    Bladder fx have been used in MANY, MANY, MANY movies and tv shows over the years. Many obvious ones, as well as some that have been extremely subtle. Dick Smith was the first to innovate bladder fx, although Joe Blasco has claimed many times that HE was the first to use them. In fact, bladder fx have been used, (crudely), since the beginning of film-making itself. But, Dick Smith WAS the first to rethink & improve the techniques in how they can be used.

    You should do your own research, Eddie. You'll be surprised in just how much you can learn just about this subject alone. To ask David, or anyone else for "at least 60 different scenes of [Inflatable Throats] when they get a chance" is pushing people's generosity a bit far. That is not to say no one would be willing to help you SOME. But, everybody has their limits, (be it time or patience). So, please be respectful of that.

    To give you a few hints, to look into, check out these movies and tv shows:

    Star Trek, the original series. Bladder fx were used throughout several episodes.

    The Exorcist. Dick Smith used bladder fx several times in this movie, both obvious & subtle.

    Mad Max, the Road Warrior. Here it was done subtlely. If you blink, you'll miss the scene it was used most effectively.

    Videodrome. Rick Baker used bladder fx quite extensively in this movie.

    The Howling, (and ALL of it's MANY sequels). This one is very obvious.

    An American Werewolf in London. Another obvious one. Not only did Rick Baker head up all the effects on this movie, he also laid all the groundwork for The Howling, (that was then susequently followed up by Rob Bottin.)

    Scanners, the original, (and the many sequels that came after). Most of the effects were carried out by Chris Walas's crew. But the effects seen during the climax, were created by Dick Smith. And, yes, bladder fx were very prominent.

    The Monster that challenged the world. This was one of the first creature feature films to star a monster that was operated by hydraulics, and pneumatics.

    Carnosaur. The T-Rex was fully operated by pneumatics. It was also one of the first creatures in film made entirely from L-200 foam sheeting. John Beuchler & crew created the fx for this one.

    Grey's Anatomy, tv show. Nearly every episode contains the use of at least one bladder effect per episode.

    The Fly, (both the original & it's sequel, as well as the Cronenberg remake & it's sequel). Bladder fx were used both obviously and subtlely, by Chris Walas & crew.

    Who framed Rodger Rabbit. You might not think so, but bladder fx, (as well as EVERY known practical effect technique, to that point in time), were used extensively in this movie.

    And..., that is just a TINY few of the movies that have featured bladder fx. Nearly EVERY movie, from the beginning to now, has used bladder fx in one way or another. To make a complete list would take QUITE A WHILE!!! You really need to research it for yourself.

    I hope this helps you, at least a little bit.

    Good luck.

    -Jeffrey Warren Park
     Skeleton Crew f/x

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