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Neil Marshall discusses why he opted for practical effects and steered clear from CGI when creating the stunningly haunting antagonists of Dog Soldiers. Another reason Dog Soldiers functions as well as it does is the fact that Marshall gathered a respectable acting crew eager to participate in shooting the film precisely because it just sounded as such damn fun. Sean Pertwee, one of the leads, liked the script so much he told Marshall to feel free to use his name anywhere he pleases in the process of closing the financial construction. “And sure enough three years later, Chris Figg and Neil rang me up and said ‘We’re on, we start in two weeks!’” Pertwee remembered. Great atmosphere behind the scenes naturally led to inspired performances in front of the camera. “There was such a camaraderie within that group of actors,” Marshall explained. “I swear to God, those guys would have fought and died for each other by the end of that film. They were so tight knit as a group of friends and a group of actors and colleagues. I think Sean helped create that. He was a big part of that.” Deleted scenes and gag reel from the DVD edition. Nice to see some laughter in such dire (wolf) moments of life-ending tension. NEW 4K Restoration from The Original Camera Negative By Second Sight Films – Approved by Director Neil Marshall And Director Of Photography Sam McCurdy British cinematographer Sam McCurdy, BSC has worked with Neil Marshall on numerous films and even high-praised TV episodes, but the collaboration started right here on Dog Soldiers. In a great talk with Nerds and Beyond, the cinematographer shed some light on his influences and beginnings in the business.
Things are getting hairy as Vertigo Releasing re-release the classic British troops-versus-werewolves horror DOG SOLDIERS, with a superb 4K restoration, and stunning, newly-commissioned promotional artwork by legendary illustrator Chris Malbon.
The film ends with a massive explosion that destroys the Scottish farmhouse. I felt this best achieved as a scale model. A perfect 3ft (1m) high replica was built in the Luxembourg studios of the house, the surrounding forest and half destroyed yellow Land Rover outside. Five cameras caught the explosion, some over-cranked to show the event in slow-motion. Dynamic angles were chosen to increase the drama to the extent of some debris hitting the camera lens.”— Simon Bowles I wanted to make a werewolf movie, a soldier movie, and a film set in Scotland.” This was Neil Marshall’s simplified summary of the initial motivation that led him to the creation of Dog Soldiers, once a refreshing low-budget horror movie with a clear comedic substance, now a beloved cult classic. Almost two decades after its initial release, Dog Soldiers remains not only one of the most impressive feature film directorial debuts, but an altogether imposing horror movie that passes the test of time with flying colors. With the beautiful 4K restoration by Vertigo Releasing and the upcoming Second Sights Films 4K and Blu-ray edition, the film’s surprising life span is further extended and new fans are bound to join the horde.
NEW 4K Restoration from The Original Camera Negative By Second Sight Films – Approved by Director Neil Marshall And Director Of Photography Sam McCurdy – Presented In Dolby Vision The very first thing that immediately stood out during my first viewing of Dog Soldiers was the uncharacteristic design of werewolves–not as bulky clumps of never-ending fur so much as thin, graceful creatures exuding an obvious air of pure dread. “A friend of mine drew a sketch in a pub one afternoon of a werewolf and that design ended up being what we followed all the way through,” Marshall said in an interview given to Through The Trees magazine. “I had given him a list of what I wanted, it was: two legs, looking as much like a wolf as possible. He combined the two in this incredibly elegant, lithe, almost feminine looking creature and it was almost beautiful, I loved it. That was passed on to the werewolf designers, Bob Keen and his team, who took that and refined it and enhanced it. It was a long process and it wasn’t cheap, and it did eat a chunk of our budget, but it was worth it to do it practically.” Janine Pipe wrote a brilliant book that chronicles the story of Dog Soldiers and fits perfectly on the shelves of proud fans of Marshall’s debut.
In his fantastic conversation with The Filmmaker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Neil Marshall talks about his major filmmaking influences, his passion about monster and action movies, love of practical effects and much more. So, is this version of Dog Soldiers the best it could ever be? No. Of course not. If we had the negative and a shit-load of cash we could have done a lot better. Is it the best it could be under the circumstances? Yes. Will it appeal to everybody? No. But that’s movies for you! Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers is a gold standard in film journalism and is absolutely essential for any fan of the movie as well as being highly recommended for anyone with an interest in low-budget film-making. Buy it now.”— Horror DNA To celebrate the upcoming theatrical release of DOG SOLDIERS – in selected cinemas from 23rd October – we’re giving away a poster. A 19-minute “making of” feature taken from the DVD issue. Several very cool interviews with Neil Marshall and the principal cast of Dog Soldiers.
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