Blood and Guts is back for another fantastically bloody season! This marks the 3rd season for the YouTube series that focuses on practical effects. Read on to get an in depth look at the show via an interview with the show’s director-producer, Jack Bennett!
http://youtu.be/lZo7ATlAwcs
Teaser for Blood and Guts season 3
What is the show ‘Blood and Guts’ all about?
It’s a celebration of makeup effects artists, creature creators, and all the practical effects artists who were the cornerstones of our favorite movies. The film industry is sidelining a lot of amazing talents who are at the top of their game and create extraordinary effects that we’re often missing out of because it’s easier for studios to spend effects dollars in post rather than putting them in a production budget. The show is a chance for us to showcase the kinds of effects we’ve been missing, and also revel in some gore whenever it’s appropriate.
What should people expect for season 3?
An original character designed specifically for Scott by Academy Award winning makeup artist Joel Harlow, an in-depth look at the creation of an original maze for Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, an appearance by a genuine horror icon, a melted Scott head, a look back at the groundbreaking work that came out of Stan Winston Studios… all that and more!
What has been the best thing about working on this show?
Just getting to focus on what I love about genre movies, and getting a chance to look at the reality of what went into making these sights that you kind of took for granted when you first saw them. In a weird way that’s the point: they’re effects, you’re not supposed to say “Wow, great effect,” you’re supposed to just accept the reality of what you’re seeing. The best for me is just meeting these people who I’ve admired and in some cases I’ve been in awe of for much of my life, and getting to ask them all my stupid fanboy questions. Seeing Scott get excited about the same stuff is up there too.
What had been your favorite practical effect done on the show thus far?
At the risk of sounding like we peaked early, it’s hard to beat Jerry Constantine’s chainsaw gag in the third episode of Season 1. But I love every episode. Jennifer Aspinall turned Scott into a fat old hippie so we could walk him into a guitar store unrecognized, how great is that? I got to be face-to-face with the very wolf that attacked Griffin Dunne in An American Werewolf in London. The animatronic characters at Spectral Motion and studioADI, can’t beat those. Shooting an action scene at Ron Trost’s with Scott was a blast, with Scott running in the snow and bullet hits going off all around him. Gary Tunnicliffe did a great zombie bite for us, shooting that with an actress named Vanessa Cate ripping out part of Scott’s neck was a highlight. The design of Joel Harlow’s Deep One hybrid, who Scott affectionately called The Fishman, was stunning. It’s an unsettling face. When it was finished Scott, was posing for photos and it was hard to make eye contact when he’d turn to me. Then Tony Gardner did something in his episode, the October 17th one, that lifted my spirits in a way few things have in my adult life. In the raw footage you hear me say “I’m so fulfilled,” when I heard my own voice while I was editing I could hear how much I meant it. All because of a gory effect, the kind of thing that would make a non-fan roll their eyes. Or cover them.
Has anything you’ve seen on the show grossed you out?
I’m so desensitized I don’t react to the actual mechanics of it beyond awe at the craft. So much so that I screened the Rob Hall episode, in which Scott gets his face sliced clean off his skull, to a classroom full of college kids as part of a lecture, and it did not even occur to me to warn them how graphic it was. When I saw their faces and heard them gasp, I was confused for a second. Then I remembered oh, right, not everyone is fucking warped like I am. It takes a really great film, something like Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance or Oldboy, to get me to react to the violence, and even then it’s the story and the characters and my attachment to them that give me that dreadful feeling in my stomach. I’m not a true crime guy, real-life violence in life continues to appall me, but I still love it in movies. The grossest, grisliest, most terrifying images are all fantastic to me just so long as they’re fake.
Make sure to tune in every Thursday in October for another awesome episode of Blood and Guts on the Nerdist channel!
In case you missed them, here are episodes 1 and 2! Make sure to check later today for episode 3!
Here is a press release from the Nerdist marking the season’s debut:
Following two successful seasons, Blood and Guts with Scott Ian has returned to the Nerdist Channel with Season 3. A new episode will debut every Thursday in October, leading up to the season finale on Halloween. The Season 3 premiere – which features Johnny Depp’s regular makeup designer, Academy Award winner Joel Harlow – can be viewed on the Nerdist Channel: [http://youtu.be/ki08bC2ZpuM]
Blood and Guts is hosted by Scott Ian, guitarist and founding member of legendary metal band Anthax. Ian, a longtime horror aficionado, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes looks at how some of the all-time greatest practical effects artists create the gore and monsters that genre fans love. The series differs from typical behind-the-scenes shows due to Ian’s infectious excitement and curiosity, coupled with the clever ways the effects are integrated into each episode. Ian is often the one in the makeup chair, experiencing squibs, gore appliances and complex character makeups with rare enthusiasm.
“I’ve been into horror longer than music, longer than comics. It was my first true nerd-love,” says Ian. “And that love affair still burns hot all these years later. Horror has been a huge influence on my music career, my writing, and now I get to actually be a part of it by hosting Blood and Guts. It’s my dream gig.”Previous guests on the show included the likes of 7 time Academy Award winner Rick Baker, Greg Nicotero of The Walking Dead and frequent Guillermo Del Toro collaborators Spectral Motion. Season 3 of Blood and Guts ups the ante with an original creature created by Joel Harlow exclusively for the series, unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the creation of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and an episode with Tony Gardner that includes a surprise visit from a legendary horror character, reprised by the original actor.Blood and Guts with Scott Ian is produced by Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist Channel as part of their partnership with Youtube, with episodes premiering online alongside All-Star Celebrity Bowling and other Nerdist content. The show was originally launched with Fangoria’s involvement, but Nerdist has taken on full production duties for Season 3. The dedicated crew remains the same, with Jack Bennett directing and producing each episode. “The show works in two ways,” explains Bennett. “You can watch it in awe of the extraordinary talent of these artists, or you can tune in to see Scott get his face ripped off. I love both.”
The full episode guide for the third season of Blood and Guts with Scott Ian can be found below. Watch the teaser here.
October 3 – Episode 1: Joel Harlow (Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean)Harlow shares his practical approach to doing makeup on blockbusters and transforms Scott into a creature inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.
October 10 – Episode 2: John Murdy and Larry Bones (Halloween Horror Nights)Scott is given unprecedented backstage access to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, including a cameo appearance by Danny Trejo.
October 17 – Episode 3: Tony Gardner (Army of Darkness, Zombieland)Scott visits Alterian Inc. for a lesson in fat suits and a surprise visit from an iconic horror character.
October 24 – Episode 4: Vincent Guastini (Requiem for a Dream, Dogma)Scott goes to VGP Effects for a look at their eclectic resume and an homage to splatter fx from the ’80s.
October 31 – Episode 5: Stan Winston & His Legacy w/ Matt Winston, Howard Berger, Lance Anderson and moreScott catches up with Stan Winston’s collaborators and his son, Matt, for a look at Winston’s continued influence on the world of effects.Bennett will be appearing at the 10th annual Rock and Shock to screen episodes and discuss the show. The horror convention takes place in Worcester, MA on October 18-20, 2013. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Robert Englund, Robert Patrick, Michael Rooker, Gunnar Hansen, Eric Roberts and more.
Watch past episodes of Blood and Guts with Scott Ian on the Nerdist Channel, and keep up to date with the new season on Facebook and Twitter.
