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Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films
What’s a Guyver? What’s a Zoanoid? And what is a crew of young, relatively new filmmakers to do with a niche licensed property from Japan? For the first time, author Dom O’Brien delves deep into the Guyver film archives to get detailed insights from the talented cast and crew and explore what it took to make The Guyver and Dark Hero.
It is a tale about a ragtag group of friends and filmmakers who, through creative experimentation, ingenuity, and persistence, would overcome low budgets and numerous challenges to make a duo of cult classics that continue to inspire a new generation of filmmakers and fans more than 30 years on.
Budget The Making of The Guyver Films
Over 200 photos ranging from never-before-seen images, rare production sketches, design concepts, and deleted scenes.
Over 40 interviews from key members of the cast and crew, including Screaming Mad George, Brian Yuzna, Steve Wang, Ted Smith, and Wyatt Weed.
Plus, a foreword by actor/screenwriter David Hayter and an afterword by the co-director of The Guyver and director of Dark Hero, Steve Wang.
It is a tale about a ragtag group of friends and filmmakers who, through creative experimentation, ingenuity, and persistence, would overcome low budgets and numerous challenges to make a duo of cult classics that continue to inspire a new generation of filmmakers and fans more than 30 years on.
Budget The Making of The Guyver Films
Over 200 photos ranging from never-before-seen images, rare production sketches, design concepts, and deleted scenes.
Over 40 interviews from key members of the cast and crew, including Screaming Mad George, Brian Yuzna, Steve Wang, Ted Smith, and Wyatt Weed.
Plus, a foreword by actor/screenwriter David Hayter and an afterword by the co-director of The Guyver and director of Dark Hero, Steve Wang.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 12, 2024
Budget Biomorphs is the kind of book that knows exactly what its fans want. For anyone who's wondered about the choices made in the Guyver movies—like why the first film lacked action, or how the sequel, Dark Hero, became such a significantly better movie—this book delivers. It's an in-depth, well-written look behind the scenes, tackling everything from creative decisions to the technical challenges of bringing these cult classics to life.
The structure of the book is well-paced and easy to follow for those who might not know much about film sets or creature sculpting. It meticulously covers each stage of the films’ development, offering not just technical insights but personal stories from those involved. It's more than just a "making of" book for fans of the series; Budget Biomorphs offers valuable lessons for anyone interested in low-budget filmmaking. So many involved give practical advice and creative solutions that any upcoming director or wanna-be effects person should take to heart, all drawn from the unique hurdles faced during the production of these films. It's a goldmine for anyone interested in special effects, creature design, martial arts, or stunt work, offering insider knowledge that will appeal to even casual fans of those things.
As a long-time fan of Guyver 2: Dark Hero, I’ve spent years trying to get others to watch it, often describing it as "the best episode of Power Rangers you’ve ever seen, starring the green ranger with more blood and grit." Not always successful in that pitch somehow, I soon found that when you become a fan of any piece of media that’s lesser known, more niche, or wasn’t successful, it can easily make you start to think you are the only one who loves this thing. So it was thrilling to see someone like Dom O’Brien take the plunge into writing about this under-appreciated series, especially with such passion. His enthusiasm leaps off every page, showing that this is a labor of love from someone who cares deeply about the films and their legacy.
This book isn’t just a comprehensive behind-the-scenes account—it’s a celebration of what made these movies special to an audience that grew up on sci-fi, anime, martial arts, monster films, and tokusatsu. For fans like me, who once felt alone in their appreciation of this series, this book is like finding a kindred spirit. O’Brien's writing reflects the joy a true fan has when they finally get the answers they’ve always wanted.
I can’t wait to see what O’Brien does next. His deep dive into Guyver was everything I’d hoped for, and I highly recommend this book to any fan of the series—or anyone interested in the art and ingenuity of low-budget filmmaking, special effects, or films in general. Thank you, Dom O’Brien, for letting this fan know he's not alone.
The structure of the book is well-paced and easy to follow for those who might not know much about film sets or creature sculpting. It meticulously covers each stage of the films’ development, offering not just technical insights but personal stories from those involved. It's more than just a "making of" book for fans of the series; Budget Biomorphs offers valuable lessons for anyone interested in low-budget filmmaking. So many involved give practical advice and creative solutions that any upcoming director or wanna-be effects person should take to heart, all drawn from the unique hurdles faced during the production of these films. It's a goldmine for anyone interested in special effects, creature design, martial arts, or stunt work, offering insider knowledge that will appeal to even casual fans of those things.
As a long-time fan of Guyver 2: Dark Hero, I’ve spent years trying to get others to watch it, often describing it as "the best episode of Power Rangers you’ve ever seen, starring the green ranger with more blood and grit." Not always successful in that pitch somehow, I soon found that when you become a fan of any piece of media that’s lesser known, more niche, or wasn’t successful, it can easily make you start to think you are the only one who loves this thing. So it was thrilling to see someone like Dom O’Brien take the plunge into writing about this under-appreciated series, especially with such passion. His enthusiasm leaps off every page, showing that this is a labor of love from someone who cares deeply about the films and their legacy.
This book isn’t just a comprehensive behind-the-scenes account—it’s a celebration of what made these movies special to an audience that grew up on sci-fi, anime, martial arts, monster films, and tokusatsu. For fans like me, who once felt alone in their appreciation of this series, this book is like finding a kindred spirit. O’Brien's writing reflects the joy a true fan has when they finally get the answers they’ve always wanted.
I can’t wait to see what O’Brien does next. His deep dive into Guyver was everything I’d hoped for, and I highly recommend this book to any fan of the series—or anyone interested in the art and ingenuity of low-budget filmmaking, special effects, or films in general. Thank you, Dom O’Brien, for letting this fan know he's not alone.
September 17, 2024
I've been a Guyver fan for most of my life and the amount of information out there about these films has been sorely lacking. Budget Biomorphs managed to tell me things I've wanted to know for decades. With great insight from most of the cast and crew, this is the definitive book for Guyver fans.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews