Monster Scholar

I’m back boys and girls. After a long hiatus and some soul searching I’ve returned with a new attitude and whole lot to say on our all-time favorite subject--horror. Today it’s some observations on Splice, the upcoming genetically mutated thriller about a pair of scientists, Clive and Elsa, who clone a humanoid creature to further their research and get around bans on human cloning. Mistake with a capital “m” The resulting mayhem falls somewhere between Species and Frankenstein, as the ambitious tinkerers try to put the creature, named Dren, back in her box. Firstly, I’m thrilled by the filmmaker’s dedication to practical effects. In an interview with FearNet.com, Vincenzo Natali justifies his brilliant decision to avoid an all CG creature: “As brilliant as Avatar is, for example, I still don't think you can replicate the subtly of that kind of performance with a fully digital character.” Natali’s commonsense take on CG already bodes well for this film, and it ensures that the au...