The Bookshelf
A guided dive into the NZPete Library, spotlighting standout books and journals on traditional special effects for collectors, researchers and curious FX enthusiasts...
RKO Pictures
A look back at RKO Pictures, the groundbreaking Golden Age studio behind classics like King Kong, Citizen Kane and Hollywood’s most influential early innovations...
Fred Sersen Burns Chicago and Floods Ranchipur
A tribute to Fred Sersen’s astonishing miniature wizardry, exploring how he burned Chicago, flooded Ranchipur, and reshaped Hollywood disaster filmmaking with unmatched golden‑age artistry...
Ceilings, Chandeliers and the Matte Artist
A light‑hearted dive into the unsung magic of matte ceilings and chandeliers, revealing how tiny painted details secretly transform ordinary sets into cinematic wonders...
Whitlock’s Magic Creates Mel’s World
Mel Brooks doesn’t do subtlety—he kicks the door down, cracks a joke, and somehow still crafts comedy classics with monster-sized charm and chaotic brilliance...
Columbia Pictures Matte Shots
A visual look at Columbia Pictures’ classic matte paintings — the artistry, the illusions, and the behind‑the‑scenes craft that shaped the studio’s golden‑age cinema...
A Portrait of one of Cliff’s Boys
I must express my deep gratitude to Dennis Lowe first and foremost...
The Art of Invisibility
I've always been intrigued with the wonderful transformations and invisibility effects...
A Tribute to Matthew J.Yuricich
It is with great pleasure that I present today's special tribute...
Moby Dick – Mattes and Miniatures
Although I have a profound dislike of actor Gregory Peck for reasons I can't exactly pinpoint...
Disney’s The Love Bug
I've always had a soft spot for this film ever since seeing it on it's first release...
The Epics – The Final Chapter
I'll make this my final posting in the series dedicated to epic films...
The Epics – Matte Shots – Part 11
Every time I feel the 'epics' have run their course I find more old matte shots...
The Epics – Matte Shots – Part 10
Twentieth Century Fox hit paydirt in September 1953 with the much ballyhooed exhibition...
The Epics – Matte Shots: Part 9
I was only ever going to do a couple of 'Epic' blogs...
The Epics: Part 8
The huge Rank film based on the George Bernard Shaw play...
The Epics – HELEN OF TROY Matte Shots: Part 7
Warner Brothers big 1955 European filmed epic HELEN OF TROY...
The Epics – Three Fox Films Matte Shots – Part 6
In this continuing saga of epic movies and their matte shots I've combined...
The Epics – Ben Hur Matte Shots – Part 5
I was tempted to cover THE TEN COMMANDMENTS...
The Epics – The Agony and the Ecstacy Matte Shots – Part 4
Head of the special photographic effects department at the time was Lenwood Ballard Abbott...
The Epics… The Greatest Story Ever Told Matte Shots – Part 3
George Stevens' THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965) was really one of the last...
The Epics…QUO VADIS Matte Shots – Part 2
Certainly one of the better giant studio epics, Mervyn Leroy's 1950 QUO VADIS...
The Epics… King of Kings Matte Shots – Part 1
So, on with todays theme - THE EPIC MOVIES - the first in an ongoing series...
A Scrapbook of Memorable Matte Moments
No two ways about it, when it boils down to it, the most recognised name...
The Man Who Would Be King
One of my all time most endearing films, and another of those rare shows...
Joan of Arc
As a follow on from yesterdays Jack Cosgrove double feature blog...
Cosgrove’s Technicolor Wonderland
For anyone familiar with my early blogs, as well as my contributions...
Ray Caple – A Photo Tribute
Ray Caple may not be a name readily recognisable to many film goers...
Big Boys Toys…
Howard and Theodore Lydecker are two names that have always been synonymous...