Kill and Kill Again
Encyclopedia
Kill and Kill Again is a 1981 South African/American action film
notable for being the first live-action film to use the visual effects
known as bullet-time. It is a sequel
to Kill or Be Killed
(1980).
The plot involves Steve Chase (James Ryan
), trying to stop the evil Marduk from amassing an army of mind-controlled karate slaves and taking over the world. Steve is assisted by Gorilla, the strongman (Ken Gampu
); Gypsy Billy, the "former champion of the world", Norman Robinson; The Fly, the mystic (Stan Schmidt), and Hotdog, the gimmicky weapon-expert and theoretical comic relief (Bill Flynn
). Also on Steve's team is Kandy Kane (Anneline Kriel
), a woman claiming to be the daughter of Dr. Kane, who invented the potato-based mind-control serum that Marduk uses on his army.
The movie is characterized by confusing dialogue and a plot that's largely taken from Bruce Lee films (Steve Chase must defeat Marduk's champion The Optimus in a karate tournament), although the martial arts scenes are considered by some to be surprisingly accurate (especially in the final karate tournament) ignoring the constant backflips Steve Chase uses to get anywhere.
The bullet-time scene occurs at the end, when Marduk has died and his chief guard is about to kill Dr. Kane while Steve is climbing up the outside of the building they're in. The guard fires his gun (at 1:36:10) and the bullet comes out very slowly and moves across the screen in a recognizable (but low-budget) early version of the famous scene in the Matrix. After ten seconds of the bullet flying across the room, Steve Chase has gotten up the building, gets inside the room, and deflects the bullet with a metal ashtray.
This very low-budget "Bullet-Time-Slice" sequence was achieved very simply, in-camera, with no post-production effects. The first shot of the bullet exiting the barrel of the gun was shot in close-up, with the barrel removed from the frame of the gun locked-off pointing downwards but with the camera also turned on its side, framing the barrel horizontally, but pointing down toward the floor. (When viewed 'upright,' this would then appear to be pointing at the subject in a correct manner.) A bullet, smaller in diameter of the inside of the barrel, was then dropped down through the barrel along with a puff of smoke from a cigarette. The bullet-and-smoke shot was filmed at 120fps to create the desired effect. To achieve the "Matrix"-style shot that followed, a close-up of the bullet rotating in front of the lens with the camera moving along with the bullet and the victim visible ahead was executed as follows. According to Tai Krige, S.A.S.C, the film's cinematographer:
"A large circular piece of clear Plexiglass was rigged to the camera dolly directly in front of the camera lens with a bullet fixed to the middle of the circular sheet of Plexi. A small electric motor was used on the outer edge, out of frame to rotate the Plexi and of course the bullet. And by then simply dollying the camera with the entire rig down the room gave us the shot of what looked like the camera flying along directly behind the bullet travelling through the air toward the target....By carefully 'lighting out' the reflections on the Plexi,the shot was accomplished.
"Filming Low budget 'indie' type movies do have their advantages...One has to come up with ideas to try and make the shots work without the use of expensive post production effects....The opening credits sequence with the large orb of the sun behind the Hero going through his moves was simply shot in the studio with him shot in silhouette against a large silk scrim with a lit red sun (lots of red filters over the lamp) from behind the scrim and by lowering the lamp stand it looked like the sun dropping down behind him. The 'wavy' credits were all shot on stills film and projected on to a white silk cloth which was physically waved by hand with the type, or names then shot at 120fps appearing to magically wave around....Dissolves in and out, from one credit to the other edited in finished the effect."
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
notable for being the first live-action film to use the visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
known as bullet-time. It is a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Kill or Be Killed
Kill or Be Killed (film)
Kill or Be Killed is a martial arts movie that was made in South Africa in 1977, but released in 1980 to capitalize on the popularity of American martial arts films....
(1980).
The plot involves Steve Chase (James Ryan
James Ryan (actor)
-Career:In 1984, he appeared alongside Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep in the romantic-drama film, Falling in Love. He appeared in Five Corners alongside Jodie Foster and Tim Robbins, and stopped acting professionally in order to focus on writing and directing...
), trying to stop the evil Marduk from amassing an army of mind-controlled karate slaves and taking over the world. Steve is assisted by Gorilla, the strongman (Ken Gampu
Ken Gampu
Ken Gampu was a South African actor.Before he began his career, Gampu was a physical training instructor, salesman, interpreter and police officer. His first acting job was in Athol Fugard's play, No Good Friday . His big break came in in the 1965 film Dingaka by Jamie Uys...
); Gypsy Billy, the "former champion of the world", Norman Robinson; The Fly, the mystic (Stan Schmidt), and Hotdog, the gimmicky weapon-expert and theoretical comic relief (Bill Flynn
Bill Flynn
Bill Flynn was a South African actor and comedian. He was born in Cape Town and matriculated from Plumstead High School...
). Also on Steve's team is Kandy Kane (Anneline Kriel
Anneline Kriel
Anneline Kriel is a South African model and actress. She won the 1974 Miss World contest at age 19, representing South Africa, after UK's Helen Morgan had resigned only four days after her victory. She became the second woman from her country to win the title...
), a woman claiming to be the daughter of Dr. Kane, who invented the potato-based mind-control serum that Marduk uses on his army.
The movie is characterized by confusing dialogue and a plot that's largely taken from Bruce Lee films (Steve Chase must defeat Marduk's champion The Optimus in a karate tournament), although the martial arts scenes are considered by some to be surprisingly accurate (especially in the final karate tournament) ignoring the constant backflips Steve Chase uses to get anywhere.
The bullet-time scene occurs at the end, when Marduk has died and his chief guard is about to kill Dr. Kane while Steve is climbing up the outside of the building they're in. The guard fires his gun (at 1:36:10) and the bullet comes out very slowly and moves across the screen in a recognizable (but low-budget) early version of the famous scene in the Matrix. After ten seconds of the bullet flying across the room, Steve Chase has gotten up the building, gets inside the room, and deflects the bullet with a metal ashtray.
This very low-budget "Bullet-Time-Slice" sequence was achieved very simply, in-camera, with no post-production effects. The first shot of the bullet exiting the barrel of the gun was shot in close-up, with the barrel removed from the frame of the gun locked-off pointing downwards but with the camera also turned on its side, framing the barrel horizontally, but pointing down toward the floor. (When viewed 'upright,' this would then appear to be pointing at the subject in a correct manner.) A bullet, smaller in diameter of the inside of the barrel, was then dropped down through the barrel along with a puff of smoke from a cigarette. The bullet-and-smoke shot was filmed at 120fps to create the desired effect. To achieve the "Matrix"-style shot that followed, a close-up of the bullet rotating in front of the lens with the camera moving along with the bullet and the victim visible ahead was executed as follows. According to Tai Krige, S.A.S.C, the film's cinematographer:
"A large circular piece of clear Plexiglass was rigged to the camera dolly directly in front of the camera lens with a bullet fixed to the middle of the circular sheet of Plexi. A small electric motor was used on the outer edge, out of frame to rotate the Plexi and of course the bullet. And by then simply dollying the camera with the entire rig down the room gave us the shot of what looked like the camera flying along directly behind the bullet travelling through the air toward the target....By carefully 'lighting out' the reflections on the Plexi,the shot was accomplished.
"Filming Low budget 'indie' type movies do have their advantages...One has to come up with ideas to try and make the shots work without the use of expensive post production effects....The opening credits sequence with the large orb of the sun behind the Hero going through his moves was simply shot in the studio with him shot in silhouette against a large silk scrim with a lit red sun (lots of red filters over the lamp) from behind the scrim and by lowering the lamp stand it looked like the sun dropping down behind him. The 'wavy' credits were all shot on stills film and projected on to a white silk cloth which was physically waved by hand with the type, or names then shot at 120fps appearing to magically wave around....Dissolves in and out, from one credit to the other edited in finished the effect."