A star-studded creature feature that wowed audiences at FrightFest’s 25th anniversary eventis ultimately being made available for everyone to appreciate.
The Invisible Raptor, starring Lord Of The Rings and The Goonies icon Sean Astin and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Sandy Martin, never actuallyintroduces you to the famous monster.
As the title implies, the movie centers around a raptor that cannot be seen by the human eye. A failed experiment that escapes the laboratory where it was kept, causing chaos in the quiet town of Spielburgh County.
The responsibility falls on the retired paleontologist Dr Grant Walker (Mike Capes) and his solitary security guard colleague Denny Danielson (David Shackelford) to locate the top predator after Elliot Kintner (Luke Speakman), a frequent visitor to Dr Walker and Denny's dinosaur-themed park Dino World, goes missing.
The unique horror comedy previously appeared at FrightFest Glasgow, securing an impressive100% score on Rotten Tomatoescritics have commended the movie for its willingness to 'embrace the absurdity' and its 'truly engaging violence.'
It currently holds an impressive 71% following its festival screening, and for those interested in the distinctive concept, The Invisible Raptor will be available for digital download in the UK starting September 8.
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Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies, and Rakutenwill all have the film accessible to audiences in the UK.
Speaking to .co.uk, lead star Mike Capes and writer Johnny Wickham discussed the challenges of producing a creature feature without an actual visible creature.
We were thinking, well, this will be easy. We don't even have the Raptor,' Wickham said. 'We don't need to show the Raptor at all. But it turns out you're making an Invisible Man film.
‘You need to be highly conscious of the Raptor’s presence in the scene. Therefore, you're performing floor effects, moving the balustrades, and toppling trash bins.’
As an actor, you also had to perform as though a raptor was present. We didn't have a substitute for the raptor. We didn't use a green screen, so we were just acting everything out.
Capes revealed information about a specific scene where Dr. Walker, his girlfriend Amber (Caitlin McHugh), and Denny manage to calm the raptor.
We received a significant favor from an amazing VFX artist, a person named Dorian Cleavenger, who provided several excellent ideas and greatly assisted us in completing the film.
A scene we had written was a reference to Jurassic Park, where Dr Alan Grant (portrayed by Sam Neill) lies on the Triceratops, which is breathing beneath him. Therefore, we aimed for a scene where I would lie on the invisible raptor while it is sedated.
We were exploring various methods without needing a harness connected to numerous wires and cables that we would have to remove. I was at Mike Hermosa's (director) house, and I was coming up with ideas for the scene. I glanced at his couch and noticed there was just enough room underneath it to fit my feet.
I requested him to sit at the edge of the sofa, applying pressure on it. As a result, I was able to have my feet supported by the couch and tilt my body far forward, creating the illusion that I was floating.
Nevertheless, there was an issue – the specific scene took place in an empty street. Therefore, the team had to think outside the box.
I spoke to my Gaffer and asked, 'Is there a way we can add some weight to this street?' He then fixed some straps into the concrete in the center, and these straps wrapped around my boots.
The pair discussed the impressive lineup of celebrities who joined the project, and how they created the funny character of Henrietta McCluckskey inspired by Sandy Martin, with no other performer in consideration.
"You know, many of the actors were acquaintances. Sandy Martin had a good relationship with Mike (Hermosa). She had previously worked with him in a film, so Sandy was involved from the start," Capes mentioned.
We contacted Henrietta McCluckskey on behalf of Sandy; there was never anyone else considered. Her attitude and personality made her perfectly suited for the role. She was the one throughout.
She is just as entertaining off-camera as she is on camera. Every word she says amuses me. I find everything she says hilarious. She was a wonderful participant. I mean, she was willing to do anything.
Wickham remarked: "Sean Astin, it was sheer luck. I think it was one of those gifts from the universe. We had no idea who we would end up getting."
He was exactly what you'd hope for on set. He was incredible, offering ideas as if the project was his own. He was thoroughly enjoying himself with us. It was a lot of fun.
He also understood from his early acting experiences what would work well on camera. He was aware of the actions to take, and following specific scenes, he would comment, 'That will end up in the trailer.' And it did.
'We have Richard Riehle, Larry Hankin, and other character actors featured in classic movies,' Capes continued.
We also had Dante Basco return to his role as Rufio in the police station. If you blink, you might miss him, but he makes an appearance. He's a really great person, and he truly enjoys the characters he has played, so he came dressed as Rufio for us and did a short scene in the police station.
The hidden raptor will be accessible for online download on Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube Movies, and Rakuten starting September 8.
A rendition of this article was released on August 23, 2024
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