You may not recognize the name Amalgamated Dynamics Inc., but they’re the guys who’ve done all the practical Alien effects since Alien3. The founders of ADI, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis, were protégés of Stan Winston back in the eighties, working on Aliens, Pumpkinhead, and the first Tremors. They’re some of the best effects guys in the biz, and they weren’t too pleased when their beautiful puppets and animatronics for 2011’s The Thing were mostly painted out with CGI.
In an effort to bring icky Bottin-inspired practical monsters back to the screen, they decided to pitch Harbinger Down to horror fans on Kickstarter. The campaign* was a success, the effects look great, the film has had its premiere, and now it’s making its way to theaters, VOD, and home video. The film will land in US theaters (how many is unknown) on August 7. VOD and DVD will arrive September 1, with Blu-Ray and digital downloads to follow shortly thereafter.
I don’t think Harbinger Down is going to be remembered for being particularly well acted or having great production values, but with Lance Henriksen starring alongside some really gross monsters (all of which are practical), it’s sure to be fun.
*In the interest of full disclosure, I donated to the campaign.