a) When he was talking about his film Splice, he found himself having to discuss this film in relaton to Alien. Vincenzo Natali thought that as briliant and seminal as the movie Alien is, the creature in the movie remains in the shadows and so the enigma that it creates is probably what made it so fascinating.
b) Dren who is the main creature of the film Splice, who would be considered the alien creature, however she is in the movie just another character, another member of the cast in what is basically a chamber piece where there are the characters Clive and Elsa and then there is Dren along with two other speaking parts in the movie. Unlike the creature of the original Alien, Dren is not hidden in shadows. However there is some Giger "DNA" in the movie. Where one can definitely credit Giger or certainly the movie Alien as an influence on Splice is that in the first Alien film there was a biologically plausible creature film and Vincenzo made that a prime directive as designing the creature and telling the story. Dren is hopefully an amazing creation, she is also a character that Vincenzo hoped that the audience would fall in love with. Perhaps she is a bit of a mutation from HR Giger's Alien creation that we know because she is truly a character.
Source Quotes
- Natali: If at any way, at any time, you don't believe Dren, which is the name of the creature, exists, the film is a failure. And so that really was our number-one goal. In a way, maybe to up the ante a little bit. Because as brilliant as Alien is, as seminal as that film is, the creature definitely remains in the shadows. Its enigma is probably what makes it so fascinating. But Dren, in our film, is really just another character. In fact, in what is basically a chamber piece, ... there is Clive and Elsa, and there is Dren. And there are two other speaking parts, and that's it. So Dren, while she is hopefully an amazing visual creation, she's also very much a character that I hope people fall in love with. And in that way, maybe a bit of a mutation from the [H.R.] Giger alien that we know. Because she truly is a character. (www.blastr.com April 6th 2010)
- Quint: She’s very sleek. She’s very demure, almost. You had KNB on for the practicals? As the filmmaker, where was the balance between CG and practicals for you?
Vincenzo Natali: It’s a very fuzzy line, because I wanted to use practical effects and real actors as much as possible, partly because that’s all I could afford, being an independent film, but also I think even if I had had an unlimited budget, I would have gone down that road because Dren is really another member of the cast. She is not hidden in the shadows. She’s not like the Alien. She’s really present and she’s a character that you really have to feel for and I just think even in the advent of something like AVATAR, I don’t think you can ever get that level of subtly from a digital performer. Maybe one day, but I still don’t think it’s there 100%, so that was the approach. Ultimately, in the early stages of Dren, there was no choice than to make her fully digital, because no human being could possibly play a two foot creature without arms. (www.aintitcool.com, April 9, 2010, )
- Vincenzo Natali: There's some Giger DNA in there as well, absolutely. I think where you can definitely credit Giger, or certainly the movie Alien, as an influence on this film is that was the first movie where we had, I thought, a biologically plausible creature film. We made that our prime directive in designing our creature and in telling our story. We wanted to make her believable. We wanted if in any way at any moment in this film you don't think that Dren, which is the name of the creature, exists, the film is a failure. And so that really was our number one goal in a way, maybe to kind of up the ante a little bit. Because as brilliant as Alien is, as seminal as that film is, the creature definitely remains in the shadows and its enigma is probably what makes it so fascinating. But Dren, in our film, is really just another character. In fact, in what is basically a chamber piece, there's Clive and Elsa and there's Dren and there's two other speaking parts and that's it. So Dren, while she is I think hopefully an amazing visual creation she's also very much a character I hope people fall in love with and in that way may be a bit of a mutation from the Alien, the Giger Alien that we know because she truly is a character. (www.fearnet.com, April 28th 2010)
- Frankly, I never really even thought of Species. That seems to be the comparison everyone brings up, but I can honestly say it had no influence on me at all. I can tell you the original Alien did, Cronenberg did, but not Species.. Not that I have anything against Species (laughs).Vincenzo Natali: Frankly, I never really even thought of Species. That seems to be the comparison everyone brings up, but I can honestly say it had no influence on me at all. I can tell you the original Alien did, Cronenberg did, but not Species.. Not that I have anything against Species (laughs). (filmschoolrejects.com/features/interview-vincenzo-natali-splice.php, June 4, 2010 )
Read more at http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/interview-vincenzo-natali-splice.php#BS9RWxt0oUyrgBUl.99
On taking cues from H.R. Giger:
There's some Giger DNA in there as well, absolutely. I think where you can definitely credit Giger, or certainly the movie Alien, as an influence on this film is that was the first movie where we had, I thought, a biologically plausible creature film. We made that our prime directive in designing our creature and in telling our story. We wanted to make her believable. We wanted if in any way at any moment in this film you don't think that Dren, which is the name of the creature, exists, the film is a failure. And so that really was our number one goal in a way, maybe to kind of up the ante a little bit. Because as brilliant as Alien is, as seminal as that film is, the creature definitely remains in the shadows and its enigma is probably what makes it so fascinating. But Dren, in our film, is really just another character. In fact, in what is basically a chamber piece, there's Clive and Elsa and there's Dren and there's two other speaking parts and that's it. So Dren, while she is I think hopefully an amazing visual creation she's also very much a character I hope people fall in love with and in that way may be a bit of a mutation from the Alien, the Giger Alien that we know because she truly is a character.
- See more at: http://www.fearnet.com/news/interview/vincenzo-natali-science-and-scares-splice#sthash.VgL5dq8G.dpuf
There's some Giger DNA in there as well, absolutely. I think where you can definitely credit Giger, or certainly the movie Alien, as an influence on this film is that was the first movie where we had, I thought, a biologically plausible creature film. We made that our prime directive in designing our creature and in telling our story. We wanted to make her believable. We wanted if in any way at any moment in this film you don't think that Dren, which is the name of the creature, exists, the film is a failure. And so that really was our number one goal in a way, maybe to kind of up the ante a little bit. Because as brilliant as Alien is, as seminal as that film is, the creature definitely remains in the shadows and its enigma is probably what makes it so fascinating. But Dren, in our film, is really just another character. In fact, in what is basically a chamber piece, there's Clive and Elsa and there's Dren and there's two other speaking parts and that's it. So Dren, while she is I think hopefully an amazing visual creation she's also very much a character I hope people fall in love with and in that way may be a bit of a mutation from the Alien, the Giger Alien that we know because she truly is a character.
- See more at: http://www.fearnet.com/news/interview/vincenzo-natali-science-and-scares-splice#sthash.VgL5dq8G.dpuf
On taking cues from H.R. Giger:
There's some Giger DNA in there as well, absolutely. I think where you can definitely credit Giger, or certainly the movie Alien, as an influence on this film is that was the first movie where we had, I thought, a biologically plausible creature film. We made that our prime directive in designing our creature and in telling our story. We wanted to make her believable. We wanted if in any way at any moment in this film you don't think that Dren, which is the name of the creature, exists, the film is a failure. And so that really was our number one goal in a way, maybe to kind of up the ante a little bit. Because as brilliant as Alien is, as seminal as that film is, the creature definitely remains in the shadows and its enigma is probably what makes it so fascinating. But Dren, in our film, is really just another character. In fact, in what is basically a chamber piece, there's Clive and Elsa and there's Dren and there's two other speaking parts and that's it. So Dren, while she is I think hopefully an amazing visual creation she's also very much a character I hope people fall in love with and in that way may be a bit of a mutation from the Alien, the Giger Alien that we know because she truly is a character.
- See more at: http://www.fearnet.com/news/interview/vincenzo-natali-science-and-scares-splice#sthash.VgL5dq8G.dpuf
There's some Giger DNA in there as well, absolutely. I think where you can definitely credit Giger, or certainly the movie Alien, as an influence on this film is that was the first movie where we had, I thought, a biologically plausible creature film. We made that our prime directive in designing our creature and in telling our story. We wanted to make her believable. We wanted if in any way at any moment in this film you don't think that Dren, which is the name of the creature, exists, the film is a failure. And so that really was our number one goal in a way, maybe to kind of up the ante a little bit. Because as brilliant as Alien is, as seminal as that film is, the creature definitely remains in the shadows and its enigma is probably what makes it so fascinating. But Dren, in our film, is really just another character. In fact, in what is basically a chamber piece, there's Clive and Elsa and there's Dren and there's two other speaking parts and that's it. So Dren, while she is I think hopefully an amazing visual creation she's also very much a character I hope people fall in love with and in that way may be a bit of a mutation from the Alien, the Giger Alien that we know because she truly is a character.
- See more at: http://www.fearnet.com/news/interview/vincenzo-natali-science-and-scares-splice#sthash.VgL5dq8G.dpuf
