Mad God

Mad God is a 2021 American stop-motion adult animated experimental horror film written, produced, and directed by Phil Tippett.[5] Completed in 2021, the film was produced over a period of thirty years.[6]

Mad God
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPhil Tippett
Written byPhil Tippett
Produced byPhil Tippett
CinematographyChris Morley
Phil Tippett
Edited byMichael Cavanaugh
Ken Rogerson
Music byDan Wool
Production
company
Distributed byShudder
Release dates
  • August 5, 2021 (2021-08-05) (Locarno)
  • June 16, 2022 (2022-06-16) (United States)
Running time
83 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150,000[2]
Box office$325,042[3][4]

Mad God had its world premiere at the Locarno Festival on August 5, 2021, and was released in the United States on June 16, 2022 by Shudder. The film received critical acclaim upon its release.

Plot

A tall figure shrouded in a jacket and gas mask, credited as the assassin, descends into a ruined, hellish world via a diving bell. In his possession, the assassin has a map and a suitcase.

Traveling through the underworld, the assassin encounters many creatures mercilessly preyed upon by larger monsters. Eventually, he reaches a city which is home to an army of faceless drones, apparently ruled by a monstrosity with filthy teeth and seared flesh who speaks in baby babble. Deep within the city's bowels, the assassin discovers a mountain of suitcases just like his own. The assassin opens his suitcase, revealing a timed bomb, which he places and prepares to set off. He fails to notice a creeping monster behind him, which then attacks and drags him away as the bomb's ticking hand appears unable to complete its circuit of the clock.

The assassin is shackled to a table and stripped in front of a mass of spectators. A surgeon appears with a nurse, splits open the assassin's abdomen, and begins rummaging through his chest cavity. Jewelry and papers are pulled out and thrown to the floor. Eventually, the surgeon finds his goal: a strange, infant larva-like creature that is wailing. The surgeon hands it to the nurse, who carries it away.

The surgeon bores a hole in the assassin's head and hooks his brain to a television set. As the surgeon watches the television, the world above is shown, where the last man gives a map forged by gnarled witches to an assassin and sends him down in a diving bell. Driving a motorcycle and then a jeep, the assassin follows the map through a munitions depot, a graveyard and a war zone before descending a spiral roadway.

Back in the underworld, the nurse brings the infant to a ghostly, floating creature who escorts the child to an alchemist's lair. The alchemist grinds the infant into liquid, then alchemically transforms its remains into gold. This gold is then used to create a new cosmos which undergoes the same cycle of evolution, civilization and self-destruction as the previous one. In doing so, the clock in the assassin's bomb appears to somehow restart and complete its circuit.

Production

While working on RoboCop 2, Tippett began filming what would become Mad God.[7] His work on Jurassic Park led him to believe the days of stop-motion were over, and the film was shelved.[7]

Twenty years later, with the encouragement of members of his studio, Tippett began working on the project again,[8] utilizing crews of volunteers to assist him.[9]

"So on the weekends I would get as many as 15 and 20 people coming round. They didn't all have the talent or skill, but I'd figure out the processes during the week. I had them do all the heavy lifting."[6]

With aid from Kickstarter donations,[8] Tippett was able to create the first three sections, which make up about half of the film.[1] Tippett released a behind-the-scenes footage on YouTube during production.[5]

Sound Design

In 2013, Academy Award-winning sound designer Richard Beggs agreed to do the sound design and mix for the project.

VR-short

In 2016, a two-minute short VR-version of the movie was released. All characters were animated and shot separately in front of a green screen using Dragon software. Then Nuke was used to compose all the characters together in front of a background.[10]

Music

The original score was composed by Dan Wool, who started work on the project in 2010 and developed the score in chapters until the release in 2021. The soundtrack album, released by Waxwork Records,[11] came out June 21, 2022 on double-vinyl and CD.

In 2023 Wool released an alternative digital-only version of the soundtrack album called "Soundtrack for Phil Tippett's MAD GOD - Music+Effects Version [feat. Richard Beggs]", that incorporates more of Richard Beggs' sound design for MAD GOD. Available on Bandcamp.

Release

Mad God premiered in 2021 at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.[6][7] Shudder acquired distribution rights to the film, planning a limited release in theaters and on AMC+ on June 16, 2022.[12]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, the film earned $8,416 from two theaters in its opening weekend.[13] It expanded to 26 theaters in its second weekend and made $36,588.[14] It added $24,451 in its third weekend,[15] $37,617 in its fourth,[16] and $16,280 in its fifth,[17] ultimately grossing more than double its $150,000 budget in its limited theatrical release.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Mad God holds an approval rating of 91%, based on 91 reviews, and an average rating of 7.8/10. Its consensus reads, "A rich visual treat for film fans, Mad God proves that even in the age of CGI, the cinematic allure of stop-motion animation remains strong."[18] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

John Defore of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's animation, bleak atmosphere and design, calling it "a tech achievement FX geeks will need to see", and "among the bleakest dystopias [of] science fiction".[20] Sight and Sound's John Bleasdale offered similar praise while also criticizing its bleak setting, summarizing that the film "has all the makings of an instant cult classic".[21] Scoring the film four out of five stars, Drew Tinnin from Dread Central praised the design, atmosphere and animation, as well as the film's soundtrack, calling it "sheer artistry coming to life".[22]

Rafael Motamayor of IndieWire rated the film a B, writing "Mad God, a cacophony of savagery and cruelty– [offering] no hope, no respite from the awe-inspiring terror."[23] Nerdist's Kyle Anderson rated the film a score of 4.5 out of 5, offering similar praise to the film's atmosphere, visuals, bleak setting, and production design while noting the film's simplistic narrative.[24] Reviewing for Tilt Magazine, critic Thomas O'Connor called the film "a deeply unsettling spectacle", highlighting the film as a technical achievement in stop-motion animation, as well as praising the film's bleak atmosphere and disturbing imagery.[25]

Christopher Stewardson from Our Culture Magazine rated the film four out of five stars, commending the animation, visual design, hellish atmosphere, and dream-like quality, writing "Mad God almost has an anti-war ring to it. In its abstract madness, it presents the nightmare of what war does. Nobody is human. Only monsters exist".[26]

The film was not without its detractors. IGN's Kristy Puchko gave a score of five out of ten, commending the atmosphere and visuals, but criticized the film for what she felt was the "lack of any real plot or substance".[27]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
L'Étrange Festival September 19, 2021 Audience Award Mad God Won [28]
The Ray Harryhausen Awards June 29, 2022 Best Feature Film Animation Mad God Won [29]
Chicago Film Critics Association December 14, 2022 Best Animated Film Mad God Nominated [30]
Austin Film Critics Association January 10, 2023 Best Animated Film Mad God Nominated [31][32]
Seattle Film Critics Society January 17, 2023 Best Animated Feature Phil Tippett Nominated [33]
Visual Effects Society Awards February 15, 2023 Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Chris Morley, Phil Tippett, Ken Rogerson, Tom Gibbons Nominated [34][35]
Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project Phil Tippett, Chris Morley, Webster Colcord, Johnny McLeod Nominated
Annie Awards February 25, 2023 Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production Dan Wool Nominated [36]
Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Phil Tippett Nominated

References
  1. Thorne, Will (July 29, 2021). "'Star Wars' VFX Artist Phil Tippett on Premiering His 'Mad God' Opus and Leaving 'Hollywood Filmmaking' Behind". Variety. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  2. "Phil Tippett revives stop-motion for 'Mad God'". sfgate.com. July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  3. "Mad God". The Numbers. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  4. "Mad God". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  5. Lussier, Germain (July 28, 2021). "VFX Icon Phil Tippet's Long-Awaited Movie Looks Absolutely Incredible". Gizmodo. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  6. Bleasdale, John (August 20, 2021). "'I wouldn't take my kids to this': Star Wars' Phil Tippett on his hellish animation Mad God". The Guardian. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  7. Navarro, Meagan (July 30, 2021). "Phil Tippett's 'Mad God' Unveils Stop-Motion Animation Sci-Fi Epic 30 Years in the Making [Trailer]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  8. White, James (August 3, 2021). "Mad God: Stop-Motion Maestro Phil Tippett Unleashes A Look At His Film". Empire. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  9. Grater, Tom (July 27, 2021). "'Mad God': Watch Debut Trailer For Animation 30 Years In The Making From 'Star Wars' VFX Artist". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  10. A special effects legend and Wevr release their first nightmarish VR short together - Polygon
  11. "Phil Tippett's MAD GOD". Waxwork Record.
  12. Grobar, Matt (March 30, 2022). "Shudder Snags VFX Legend Phil Tippett's Experimental Animated Pic 'Mad God'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  13. "Domestic 2022 Weekend 23". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  14. "Domestic 2022 Weekend 24". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  15. "Domestic 2022 Weekend 25". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  16. "Domestic 2022 Weekend 26". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  17. "Domestic 2022 Weekend 27". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  18. "Mad God". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  19. "Mad God". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  20. DeFore, John (September 20, 2021). "'Mad God': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  21. Bleasdale, John (August 21, 2021). "Mad God writhes through an underworld drenched in bodily fluids". BFI.org. Sight and Sound. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  22. Tinnin, Drew (August 25, 2021). "Fantasia Review: 'Mad God' is a Nightmarish Stop Motion Masterpiece". Dread Central. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  23. Motamayor, Rafael (August 24, 2021). "'Mad God' Review: Fantasia Fest Delivers a Stop-Motion Trip Through Hell from Phil Tippett". IndieWire. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  24. Anderson, Kyle (August 23, 2021). "Phil Tippett's MAD GOD Is a Stop-Motion Nightmare Worth the Wait". Nerdist. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  25. O'Connor, Thomas (August 21, 2021). "Mad God Is A Challenging, Transgressive Spectacle". GoombaStomp.com. Tilt Magazine. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  26. Stewardson, Christopher (August 23, 2021). "Fantasia 2021 Review: Mad God (2021)". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  27. Puchko, Kristy (August 25, 2021). "Mad God Review". IGN. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  28. Mack, Andrew (September 24, 2021). "L'Etrange Festival Announces 2021 Award Winners, THE INNOCENTS And MAD GOD Take Top Prizes". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  29. "Harryhausen Award Winners 2022". harryhausenawards.com. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  30. Tallerico, Brian (December 12, 2022). "Everything Everywhere All at Once Leads Chicago Film Critics Nominations". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  31. Partridge, Jon (January 3, 2023). "2022 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations". Austin Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  32. Partridge, Jon (January 11, 2023). "2022 Austin Film Critics Association Award Winners". Austin Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  33. ""Everything Everywhere All At Once" Leads the 2022 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  34. Adams, Erik (January 17, 2023). "'Avatar' Sets Record with 14 Nominations for 2023 Visual Effects Society Awards". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  35. Pederson, Erik (February 15, 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Dominates VES Awards With Nine Wins; Three For 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  36. Pedersen, Erik (January 17, 2023). "Annie Awards Nominations: 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' & 'Marcel The Shell' Lead Field". Deadline. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
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