CHUD gets all kinds of requests from all kinds of people asking us to to give a shout out to their efforts in the industry.  A lot of them aren’t worth the time it takes to read the e-mail.  However, occasionally, we’re presented with something that bears sharing with you, the Chewers. 

In this instance, it’s a press release from Vincent Guastini Productions, which does visual, creature and make-up effects.  Now that motion capture, 3-D and digital animation, as well as films like Avatar, are increasingly poised to change the game on how monsters and otherworldly creatures are portrayed, it’s nice to still see someone bringing creepy crawlies to life in the old school tradition. 

For Immediate Release From Vincent Guastini Productions:

Vincent Guastini Productions has released exclusive photos from various projects it has just worked on this past year. Here are shots from the recent film release of The Beacon.  The make-up you are seeing here represents what Michael Ironside and others may or may not look like in the afterlife. Said Vincent Guastini, “I cannot give away to many details even though the film is having a limited theatrical release in the USA. I promise to at some point reveal all the work we have done for the film.  Till then, this is as much as I can release.”

Guastini: “Also pictured here is a still of a collapsing body from the Dec. 4th, nationwide release of Transylmania. We did a number of gags for the film that was actually filmed in a thousand-year-old castle in Transylvania.”




Additionally, for exclusive release, here is Vincent Guastini’s idea of a “new” Freddy Krueger: “We had an inside contact over at Michael Bay’s company. We worked for the new director Samuel Bayer once prior, on a Ridley Scott spot. So we thought we would take a chance, and show our take on what we thought the new Freddy should look like. This design may never see the light of day so I wanted to at least be able to share it with the fans. I saw the new Freddy and thought it was very cool, but feel if given the chance we could have done something just as great.”



Vincent’s company also just wrapped on the TV side of things, the 2nd season of Lost Tapes for Animal Planet. The series is shot in a documentary style depicting fictional, traumatic scenarios in which creatures of folklore attack people. A recurring situation in the show is that the characters are usually left alone or are in a small group in a remote area of the world, only to film their last moments via hand held video camera as they’re attacked by various legendary monsters.


Says Guastini on the Lost Tapes project: “This show was a real challenge considering it has a
reputation for being considered ‘real’ footage. Under very tight time
constraints of often only a couple of days, we had many ‘movie quality’
effects to create; including multiple full body creature suits, one of
which was used in the series most popular, highest-viewed episode, Vampire, directed by Dave (Hills Run Red)
Parker.  The effects for the show include a female werewolf; an
animatronic alien bug which impregnates and bursts out of a cocooned
female astronaut; the Jersey Devil (complete with mechanical legs &
wings); as well as elaborate prosthetic characters, monsters, and
aliens.  All that along with your run-of-the-mill gore and body parts.”

VGP also recently completed Netflix’s horror release, SPLATTER, which had its debut just in time for Halloween.  This was produced by legendary filmmaker, Roger Corman, and was directed by film history icon, Joe Dante. This is the second collaboration for Vincent Guastini and Dante.  VGP had the challenge of blowing Cory Feldman’s brains out and bringing him back from the dead. This included doing all of the various victims that Cory’s character, Johnny Splatter, kills in his back-from-the-dead revenge.

The effects list included Cory’s prosthetic make-up, which took roughly three hours, having two stages of decay and evil possession.  In addition, there were various body parts, a ripped-out, beating heart, bleeding ears, and an elaborate death by electrocution Scanners-style.  Said Guastini, “This was a fun show to work on.  The effects were definitely a throwback to the ’80s; and to be working with three horror icons from that time period was just awesome!  I mean, you basically have walking film history with Joe Dante directing and Roger Corman producing.  Working with Joe Dante once again was a complete honor and the ’80s superstar, Cory Feldman, was a blast.  What more could an effects creator ask for?”


Vincent also just wrapped some effects for director Steven Miller’s, Screaming Banshee, starring Lauren Holly and Lance Henriksen.  “We just got a nod on some other Miller projects,” said Guastini, “but can’t say at this point what they are.  We’re also set to do Robert Masciantonio’s next film.  His recent film, Neighbor has critics and audiences screaming in bloody, shocking delight.” 

Vincent Guastini is gearing up for his next film, Haunted, saying, “We intend on doing for ghosts what we did for gore in Neighbor.  That is, to set a new standard of never-before-seen effects.”  Some of VGP’s previous credits include Letters From Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers, Last of the Mohicans, Dogma, Requiem For A Dream and Scary Movie 4.

Vincent Guastini IMDB Page

Thanks to VGP for the pictures and details on their recent and upcoming projects.

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