Monster Idea - Artheopleura

The Artheopleura is a relative of centipedes and millipedes that grew from 0.3-2.6 metres in length. It lived in the carboniferous period (340 to 280 million years ago). It is the largest known invertibrate of all time.

This creature had a powerful set of jaws but mostly ate plants and moved swiftly across the forest floors. The Artheopleura became the size it did because of a lack of predators and the huge amaount of oxygen in the air.

What If?

Following Alan's suggestion, here's the basis of me and Chris's idea.

What if nuclear waste from weapons research was illegally dumped in a cave, leading to a cave centipede growing to 100 feet long, which then attacked New York city?

Hollow Earth

Hollywood, Los Angeles and the filming of the year’s blockbuster Hollow Earth has just been completed, but Hollow Earth has left a bad taste in the mouth of many Angelinos.  The eccentric director was obsessed with recreating the scenes from the book in his film adaption, and ended up drilling on set a gigantic hole towards the centre of the earth.  Many of the citizens and other studios objected to this, as the landscape would be permanently scared.  However, the director had powerful friends in high places, and pretty much anything he wanted, he got. But, what the director did not know was that the citizens were not the only things stirring in Hollywood since the big dig.  A creature of enormous size makes its way up through the gaping hole, shovelling his way to the surface looking to punish those who have disturbed his slumber.

Martialis March

The year is ???? and the place is Long Island, New York, and the world’s greatest minds have gathered at North Port nuclear power station to celebrate a decade of the revolutionary plant being open. However, Dr Stein the station’s mastermind is troubled, for the last few years corrupt investors have been creaming off the profits causing the maintenance of the plant to fall below par.  Instead of the nuclear waste being properly disposed of it has ended up in a rocky ravine at the back of the power station. Dr Stein, after months of monitoring the abandoned nuclear waste, grows increasingly concerned with the ecological implications.  He observed the immediate attraction to the site by a rare subterranean ant species called Martialis, alongside deep fissures in the earth.  What did this all mean?  Dr Stein knew something was coming and it was big; what he didn’t know was how big.

Mad-mole

Ant-man

Possible animals for the monster

Hey guys I was looking at possible animals we could use for the giant monster that attacks NYC and I remember the idea of a crab coming up in one of our meetings. There's a couple of crabs that took my fancy, first being then "Sally Lightfoot Crab":

I think that this crab is just beautiful, the colours are amazing and its like a monster in disguise. I also thought that if we were to go with the 1950's Technicolour style, then this crab would be awesome for that.

Also on the subject of crabs, I found this other crab called the "Fiddler" crab:

That large claw would look brilliant as it smashes through a landmark building and it also gives a sense of oddness and weirdness to our monster.


But if we are just a fan of all crabs that are freakishly large then maybe the "King Crab" or the "Coconut Crab".

The Cave

Just a quick post guys, I watched this trailer from the film, "The Cave". I was thinking that it was exactly like one of the ideas we had and if we went down the route of a hidden cave in NYC then this could be great research. Plus theres a comment on the page saying, "That's the problem about exploring unknown places, maybe you'll find something...... or maybe something will find you." I think this would be a brilliant slogan for the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5AHUMpBtCE 

The Biology of B-movies

A very interesting and useful Archive on B-movies by Michael C. LaBarbera

The Biology of B-movies...

http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701757/

Tutorial 1 outcome

Summary of Tutorial with Alan

• Sci-fi movie (with moderate horror elements)
• "Genuine" B-movie
• Monster type movie

Further decisions

• low-budget B-movie appearance
• Set in New York
• 1950s setting

To Do List

• Why the Monster?
• Monster concepts

She

In all great mythical stories and known religions there has always been that unfathomable feminine presence that lives within our planet. She - the mother of life itself, She - who wears a beard of fire and goes to war, She - the illuminator of our darkest days, and, She - who sheds tears of sorrow for all mankind. She has come in many forms and vassals to guide and protect her children in their times of need, but this time, She, has come to discipline her children. Awakened from her slumber in great pain from the misuse of her life forces by greedy men. Her tears run greater than ever before, forming gapping chasms and ravines in the earth. Her beard overflowing through every crack and orifice in the earth, as hot lava would spew out an active volcano. She, know mounts her vassals, creatures so terrible to look upon that one glimpse would petrify the most courageous of hearts. Beings of unimaginable strength and power that will not hesitate to impart her necessary justice, but She weeps, as the many most still be punished for the few.

The March of the Martialis

The Golden Martialis found there way from their dying Martian home world to Earth billions of years ago. In a cocoon trapped within a meteoroid, these insectoids have an uncanny resemblance to the common ant, and like most plant inhabiting ant species; The Martialis formed a Symbiotic relationship with the Earth, its new host. Living around the core’s crust, the subterranean Martialis’ psychic link with our planet awarded it a unique and accelerated growth. However, those days remained harmonious, and the Martialis grew productive in the generation of the planet. But, today is a different day, the year is 2012, and the Earth is suffering, with cracks penetrating from the core to the surface, the Martialis feels the mother’s pain and now grow vex. Until this day, The Golden Martialis aided their mother in providing a foundation for man to create his cities and dreams. Know they march, united as one with one cause, a Golden Horde; they march to rid the mother of her burden, and purge the surface world so healing may begin.

Ideas

Okay, here are my first thought on the project.

Story ideas

• Underground nuclear testing creates army of giant mutant worms/bugs
• Seismic surveying for oil exploration awakens slumbering alien/monsters living deep underground
• Scientific team exploring cave system stumble upon ancient evil
• Tunneling project breaks into underground city filled with ? which treat as hostile act and declare war

Monster ideas

• Lava monsters - black on outside, glowing cracks when moving
• Humanised Insects 
• Giant, albino, eyeless centipedes
• Rock monsters

Invasion from the Center of the Earth!

Our film title for this project is, as you can see above, "Invasion from the center of the Earth"