Director's Commentary Notes/DVD Extra - 'Terror Takes Shape'

Unfortunately the Avatar DVD doesn't have a commentary, but I made notes for the other films. I probably won't use all of the information, but I noted down anything which I thought might be useful:

The Thing

-Carpenter wanted the Thing not to look like a typical man in a suit monster (and referred to Alien).

-The tentacles (in the dog scene) were operated off-camera. A reverse camera effect was used for the tentacles being pulled in, which gave the effect that they were spreading outwards.

-The alien ship was 'matte painted' (I will do some more research on this effect).

-Norris transformation scene - everything was built and on-set. Tongue effect - reverse action again.

-Spider - operated from underneath, legs pushed out.

-50 people operating the final monster in the climax.

-The camp was actually blown up, the later used as the set for the Norwegian camp.

'Terror Takes Shape' Documentary (DVD Extra)

-Opening scene used a model spaceship.

-Matte paintings (such as spaceship were edited in during post production.

-Careful lighting was used to to makes the monsters look convincing (hiding seams, etc)

-The fake stomach was operated with an interior mechanism with people inside the table.

-Arms replicated to be ripped off used rubber veins, gelatin and bones to make it look realistic. An amputee was used for the scene, and a prosthetic face of the actor was made for his face. The power of the jaws actually ripped the fake arms apart.

-The spider-head had a fully animated mechanical face.

-Stuff they put in the neck was explosive and accidently blew up for the take - a new head had to be made within a day.

-Carpenter didn't want "a guy in a suit".

-A whole detailed miniature set was made for the unused stop-motion sequence.

Alien

-The Nostromo was made using models.

-Matte painting/set combo (same as The Thing)

-"I believe if you can do it physically, do it. You could spend 100,000 dollars on this movement" - Great quote from Ridley Scott ( when referring to the movement inside the egg, which was actually his hands in rubber gloves).

-Acid blood through floor was actually acid going through polystyrene.

-The facehugger was made out of shellfish - actual organic matter to make it look realistic.

-The actor's didn't know what would come out during the chestburster scene. It was shot in one take with several cameras.

-An artificial chest was screwed to the table. Hurt was in an 'S' shape around the fake chest, and the operator was also under the table.

-The explosion of the ship was created by using a series of paintings.

Terminator 2

-Opening battle made with models (miniatures combined with full-scale explosions. Real location (an abandoned air-force base).

-T1000's blade arms are prosthetic until they morph - then it's CGI.

-The movement if the T1000 CGI had to be matched exactly with the physical movement.

-Nuclear nightmare scene - CGI/models.

-For the freezing T1000, prosthetics attached to an amputee were used (similar to The Thing). The shatter effect was created with a hollow puppet.

-T1000 reforming - mercury in reverse and CGI. Difficult because the model had to reflect the fire and sparks of the steel mill.

-For quick glimpses of the T1000, a guy wrapped in aluminium was used.

-Three T1000 puppets were used in the climax - one to get to blow up, one with articulated movent, and another to fall in the fire.