STACK #182 Dec 2019

OPINION

visit stack.com.au

of

Hollywood's dedication to inclusivity and recycling now includes the dead, with the news that the late James Dean will make the ultimate comeback in a newVietnam war movie. THE UNCANNY VALLEY

400 actors, historical figures and musicians. Yes, a database of dead celebs does sound like a macabre concept for a science fiction film. As well as the moral and legal considerations, there are other worms crawling from this particular open can. It may be James Dean's likeness but it won't be James Dean's performance, just a computer and/ or mo-cap actor's approximation of what he might have brought to the role. And more frivolously, can it qualify for Oscar contention? Who gets the salary and the IMDb credit? Will SAG membership apply?

Words Scott Hocking

Furthermore, will the illusion stand up to prolonged scrutiny? Cushing's return as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One was mostly convincing, but ultimately should have been kept in the shadows or sparingly glimpsed in reflective surfaces. Even with the best hard drives and animators money can buy, the digital seams are still visible. Beyond all the

I t might sound like the kind of haunted terrain negotiated in a Harry Potter quest, but in today's parlance the term 'Uncanny Valley' refers to that unsettling feeling that arises from looking at – or being in the company of – something that's designed to look human but isn't quite convincing. The uncanny CGI characters from films like Final Fantasy and The Polar Express are prime examples, and now we have digital de-aging and motion- capture characters that generate a similar response.

Audrey Hepburn returned from the grave for a chocolate commercial. Moreover, actors who passed away suddenly during production – like Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 7

James Dean in RebelWithout a Cause

How long before remakes of old classics begin to feature cameos from deceased 'original' stars?

A digital Peter Cushing in Rogue One

brouhaha, Dean's digital resurrection

practice. Many actors have

is simply the next evolution in CGI and Hollywood's commitment to recycling. How long then before remakes of old classics begin to feature cameos from deceased 'original' stars like Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne and Cary Grant? Or Gregory Peck turns up in a Marvel movie? Dean's macabre comeback in Finding Jack, whether convincing or not, will certainly drive curious moviegoers into cinemas, and the box office returns will be the litmus test as to whether this uncanny form of necromantic casting becomes a trend.

already tweeted their disapproval (Chris Evans describing it as "awful" and "shameful") and they make a valid point – the very idea is all kinds of wrong. Uncanny even. To paraphrase Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park , "The filmmakers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop and consider if they should." The digital Dean will star in the Vietnam war drama Finding Jack, with the reported blessing of his estate and the involvement of fledgling company Worldwide XR, which holds the rights to over

An uncannyTom Hanks in The Polar Express

The valley runs a whole lot deeper than that, however, with deceased actors and celebs being resurrected digitally. The practice isn't new – a holographic Elvis and Tupac continue to tour, Peter Cushing's likeness was recreated for Rogue One: A Star Wars story to creepy effect, and

and Oliver Reed in Gladiator – had their unfinished scenes completed by digital doubles. But the recent announcement that the legendary James Dean would be appearing in a new film – 65 years after his death – has led to a predictable and justifiable backlash over the ethics of the

40

DECEMBER 2019

jbhifi.com.au