British special effects artist Roger Dicken, best known for his work on Ridley Scott’s Alien and the 1970s sci-fi thriller When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth has died. He was 84.
Dicken died on February 18 at his home in North Wales. His career began in the mid-60s when he accepted a freelance effects role on a sprawling sci-fi feature helmed by an ambitious American filmmaker named Stanley Kubrick. The project would end up being the seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dicken created miniature moon terrains for the pic. His work would ultimately go uncredited.
Following his sojourn in space with Kubrick, Dicken found work on the Michael Reeves feature Witchfinder General before lending his hand to When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth by Val Guest. Dicken and Jim Danforth shared a Best Special Visual Effects Oscar nomination for their work on the film.
Dicken went on to work on Ridley Scott’s Alien.
Dicken died on February 18 at his home in North Wales. His career began in the mid-60s when he accepted a freelance effects role on a sprawling sci-fi feature helmed by an ambitious American filmmaker named Stanley Kubrick. The project would end up being the seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dicken created miniature moon terrains for the pic. His work would ultimately go uncredited.
Following his sojourn in space with Kubrick, Dicken found work on the Michael Reeves feature Witchfinder General before lending his hand to When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth by Val Guest. Dicken and Jim Danforth shared a Best Special Visual Effects Oscar nomination for their work on the film.
Dicken went on to work on Ridley Scott’s Alien.
- 4/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Roger Dicken, the Oscar-nominated British special effects artist, sculptor and model maker known for his work on Alien and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, has died. He was 84.
Dicken died Feb. 18 at his home in North Wales, Mick Cooper, a friend of more than five decades, told The Hollywood Reporter.
On his first film, Dicken was a member of the effects team for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); later, he created and operated the dinosaur puppets seen in The Land That Time Forgot (1974).
Dicken sculpted several prehistoric creatures — plus a pair of full-sized pterodactyl feet — for the stop-motion adventure tale When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), written and directed by Val Guest for Hammer Films. He and American animator Jim Danforth shared the Oscar nomination for visual effects.
For Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), Dicken constructed and controlled the terrifying chest-bursting creature that kills Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) in...
Dicken died Feb. 18 at his home in North Wales, Mick Cooper, a friend of more than five decades, told The Hollywood Reporter.
On his first film, Dicken was a member of the effects team for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); later, he created and operated the dinosaur puppets seen in The Land That Time Forgot (1974).
Dicken sculpted several prehistoric creatures — plus a pair of full-sized pterodactyl feet — for the stop-motion adventure tale When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), written and directed by Val Guest for Hammer Films. He and American animator Jim Danforth shared the Oscar nomination for visual effects.
For Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), Dicken constructed and controlled the terrifying chest-bursting creature that kills Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) in...
- 4/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes and Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Alien” and its many sequels and prequels have always been about transformation. The creature itself is constantly changing, as are those unfortunate enough to encounter it. As you celebrate Alien Day — celebrated on April 26 because the original film is set on the planet Lv-426 — take a moment to revisit the many forms Sigourney Weaver’s greatest screen partner has taken on in the nearly 40 years since H.R. Giger and Ridley Scott first introduced us to it.
The facehugger (“Alien”)
Our first exposure to the otherworldly creature known among fans as the xenomorph remains the most quietly unsettling. “It’s got a wonderful defense mechanism,” Parker (Yaphet Kotto) says after noticing the facehugger’s acidic blood: “You don’t dare kill it.”
Almost reminiscent of a scorpion in its appearance, the facehugger was initially intended by Giger to be larger and possess eyes; screenwriter Dan O’Bannon had imagined it as an octopus-like being with tentacles.
The facehugger (“Alien”)
Our first exposure to the otherworldly creature known among fans as the xenomorph remains the most quietly unsettling. “It’s got a wonderful defense mechanism,” Parker (Yaphet Kotto) says after noticing the facehugger’s acidic blood: “You don’t dare kill it.”
Almost reminiscent of a scorpion in its appearance, the facehugger was initially intended by Giger to be larger and possess eyes; screenwriter Dan O’Bannon had imagined it as an octopus-like being with tentacles.
- 4/25/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
StudioCanal have recently released a couple of Amicus Production classics by veteran film director Kevin Connor. The set on offer includes a few of his early classics ranging from the lesser known At The Earth’s Core and Warlords of Atlantis to the cult classic The Land that Time Forgot.
Now available on DVD I somehow found myself in the privileged position of interviewing the 70-something while apparently on his lunch break from filming. He’s obviously still going strong.
It’s my understanding that Milton Subotsky gave you your break in directing because he thought that editors make good directors. How exactly did that come about?
In the early 70’s I optioned a dozen short stories from Chetwynd Hayes entitled ‘The Unbidden’ thinking to make a TV series out of them. Myself and two friends adapted them into half hour films and unsuccessfully shopped them around the TV world.
Now available on DVD I somehow found myself in the privileged position of interviewing the 70-something while apparently on his lunch break from filming. He’s obviously still going strong.
It’s my understanding that Milton Subotsky gave you your break in directing because he thought that editors make good directors. How exactly did that come about?
In the early 70’s I optioned a dozen short stories from Chetwynd Hayes entitled ‘The Unbidden’ thinking to make a TV series out of them. Myself and two friends adapted them into half hour films and unsuccessfully shopped them around the TV world.
- 8/7/2012
- by Ross Jones-Morris
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Above: Animator Chris Tootell readies Coraline to cross a snowy forest in Henry Selick's stop-motion animated 3-D adventure Coraline.
Above: Animator Bartek Prusiewicz works outside the Pink Palace house/apartments complex situated on a soundstage.
Stop motion animation fascinates me, marveling at the Dinosaurs of Jim Danforth and Roger Dicken in The Land that time forgot as a child. The maestro Ray Harryhausen work in everything he did and later the surrel imaginings of check master Jan Svankmajer. As well as creations like Morph the animated companion of the late great Tony Hart and top notch kids show The Trap Door. Apart from generally just loving the look of Stop motion the patience of its creators amazes me. Anyway check out the images above from Coraline.
You can view slightly larger versions over at our Virb page (click to enlarge them)
Above: Set construction supervisor Bo Henry makes final...
Above: Animator Bartek Prusiewicz works outside the Pink Palace house/apartments complex situated on a soundstage.
Stop motion animation fascinates me, marveling at the Dinosaurs of Jim Danforth and Roger Dicken in The Land that time forgot as a child. The maestro Ray Harryhausen work in everything he did and later the surrel imaginings of check master Jan Svankmajer. As well as creations like Morph the animated companion of the late great Tony Hart and top notch kids show The Trap Door. Apart from generally just loving the look of Stop motion the patience of its creators amazes me. Anyway check out the images above from Coraline.
You can view slightly larger versions over at our Virb page (click to enlarge them)
Above: Set construction supervisor Bo Henry makes final...
- 4/20/2009
- by Leigh
- Latemag.com/film
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