Article by Adam Eisenberg

Every kid has dreams of adventure by way of a backyard fort or makeshift treehouse. In Joe Dante's summertime jaunt, Explorers, the dream comes true. Only this time the journey begins when a homemade spaceship devised by three young boys really does take off for parts unknown and brings the trio face-to-face with some hilariously offbeat Rob Bottin-designed aliens. With the effects expertise of Industrial Light & Magic and the computer-generated animation of Omnibus Computer Graphics, Dante and company launched a $23 million expedition into the cinematic firmament.

Lifeforce: Baring the Soul of 'Lifeforce'

Article by Glenn Campbell

Bizarre makeup and unusual opticals are prime elements of the modern horror or science fiction film, and director Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce -- an incredible combination of the two genres -- is replete with both. Keeping up with an effects-a-minute pace was no easy task for the international crew, and John Dykstra and key members of his Apogee organizaion discuss challenges faced on the visual effects front. From conventional model photography to innovative laser applications, the production team concocted an assortment of illusions to help bring Colin Wilson's tale of soul-snatching vampires to life.

Shooting for an 'A' on 'My Science Project'

Article by Stephen Rebello

Screenwriter Jonathan Betuel was certain of two things while shopping his My Science Project script around Hollywood -- he wanted to direct the film, and it had to feature a terrifying tyrannosaurus rex sequence. Walt Disney Productions agreed and gave Betuel the directorial reins for his fantasy-adventure yarn about a high school science experiment gone awry. Along with effects supervisor John Scheele, dinosaur-builder Doug Beswick and other members of the effects ensemble, first-time director Betuel reflects upon the unlikely logistics of getting a prehistoric carnivore into the school gymnasium.