Last week, I ran my long-form interview with make-up effects legend Rick Baker, which may be my favorite thing we’ve done so far this year here on HitFix.
While we were at his Glendale studio getting ready for the interview, we had some time to kill in the showroom, where he has many elaborate make-ups on display, and we decided to shoot as much of it as we could for you.
The result isn’t he most formal walk-through tour of all time, but should offer you a flavor of what it’s like to be there, and just how remarkable these creations are when you see them up close. Stan Winston used to have the same sort of showroom at his company, and I think it’s a testament to the artistry that goes into the making of these things. Built right, they endure long past when you’d expect them to, and even without knowing the film they came from, they are remarkable.
I thought it was particularly nice of Baker to allow us to shoot the work in the room, as it’s not open to the public and it’s not something you get to see often. When I first met Bob Burns, one of the most amazing things about his private collection is the early work by Baker that he has. He helped teach Rick about make-up when he was still a young monster-loving fanboy, and as a result, Bob was able to watch Rick’s evolution as an artist.
One of my favorite pieces that Bob owns is the full-sized werewolf sculpt from “An American Werewolf In London,” and although it’s only onscreen for a few shots in the film, it was built so well that it is still intact, and seeing it close-up, it looks like it’s ready to take a bite out of you at any moment.
My thanks to Sony and to Rick Baker for making this possible, and I hope you enjoy the work you get to see here.
“Men In Black 3” is playing now in theaters everywhere.