Brett Piper | Monster Zone

Brett Piper is a prolific low budget film maker who has directed (plus written and created the special effects for) films like QUEEN CRAB (2015), A NYMPHOID BARBARIAN IN DINOSAUR HELL (1990) and ARACHNIA (2003). His first film was the ultra low budget sci-fi movie MYSTERIOUS PLANET (1982), which featured a giant, two-headed stop-motion snail.

Brett includes stop-motion effects in a lot of his movies. A fan of Ray Harryhausen films, King Kong, etc, Brett produces the animation himself, including the building of the puppets. In fact, he is really keeping the live action/stop-motion art form alive, for which he gets my utmost respect!

Here are posters, video covers, etc, for movies that Brett has directed (and for which he also created the stop-motion effects, monster costumes, miniatures and so on)…

UK video box art for the first film Brett directed: Mysterious Planet (1982)

German video box art for Mysterious Planet (1982)

Battle For The Lost Planet: nice art! — Battle For The Lost Planet (1986): nice art!

Battle For the Lost Planet was also known as Galaxy Destroyer

Battle For The Lost Planet / Mutant War Blu-ray + DVD combo pack cover

Mutant War preliminary original art by Luis Dominguez — Mutant War (1988) preliminary original art by Luis Dominguez

A Nymphoid Barbarian In Dinosaur Hell (aka Dark Fortress) DVD cover

Japanese VHS cover for A Nymphoid Barbarian In Dinosaur Hell (1990)

Japanese VHS sleeve for A Nymphoid Barbarian In Dinosaur Hell

Mmm... this one's a pretty misleading piece of artwork for the movie — Mmm… this one’s a pretty misleading piece of artwork for the movie

"They live... They suck..." — “They live… They suck…” They Bite

Drainiac! (2000): an impactful DVD cover!

Alternative poster designs for Screaming Dead

'Shock-O-Rama Horror Collection' DVD cover — Shock-O-Rama Horror Collection DVD cover

"She has awakened... and she's hungry!" — “She has awakened… and she’s hungry!”

Here are posters, DVD covers, etc, for just some of the other films Brett has been linked with. He didn’t direct any of these films, but provided such services as special effects, makeup, miniatures and so on. For one of the films Brett was the ‘tentacle wrangler’! Some of these flicks are really super-low budget, such as those directed by Mark Polonia (ZILLAFOOT, SHARKENSTEIN, AMITYVILLE DEATH HOUSE, etc) – but Mark certainly knows how to promote them via cool covers regardless of the low-low budgets!

Raiders Of the Living Dead (1986) – Brett wrote the screenplay

Blood Red Planet (2000) - Brett provided the miniature effects — Blood Red Planet (2000) – Brett provided the miniature effects

Gorilla Warfare: Battle of the Apes (2002) - Brett's credit was: miniature effects — Gorilla Warfare: Battle of the Apes (2002) – Brett’s credit was: miniature effects

Bikini Girls On Dinosaur Planet (2005) - Brett was special effects technician — Bikini Girls On Dinosaur Planet (2005) – Brett was special effects technician

Splatter Beach (2007) DVD cover - Brett was director of photography — Splatter Beach (2007) DVD cover – Brett was director of photography

Killer Rack (2015) - Brett was stop motion supervisor — Killer Rack (2015) – Brett was stop motion supervisor

Amityville Death House (2015) - Brett provided the special effects make-up — Amityville Death House (2015) – Brett provided the special effects make-up

Jurassic Prey (2015) - Brett oversaw the dinosaur design — Jurassic Prey (2015) – Brett oversaw the dinosaur design

Sharkenstein (2016) - Brett provided the special effects — Sharkenstein (2016) – Brett provided the special effects

ZillaFoot (2019) - Brett was special effects supervisor — ZillaFoot (2019) – Brett was special effects supervisor

Lycanimator (2018) - Brett's credit was 'tentacle wrangler: special effects'! — Lycanimator (2018) – Brett’s credit was ‘tentacle wrangler: special effects’!

Here’s a behind the scenes shot from Brett’s REDNECK MUTANTS, showing a stop-motion bug monster model and a gorgeous house miniature.

Finally, here’s one of the stop-motion critters from A NYMPHOID BARBARIAN IN DINOSAUR HELL…

Two Victorian gentlemen take a trip to the moon and encounter an underground civilisation created by beings known as Selenites.

Eccentric scientist Cavor's sphere is ready for launch — Eccentric scientist Cavor’s sphere is ready for launch

The protagonists arrive on the moon... — The protagonists arrive on the moon…

...and are captured by Selenites — …and are captured by Selenites

A Selenite holds a prodder-type staff that can give off electric shocks

This is animator Brett Piper’s adaptation of the H.G. Wells science fiction classic – and it is told in just seven minutes. Yikes! The story certainly zips along at a cracking pace.

Selenites are bred to perform specific tasks for their society

A Selenite with big legs & feet runs on a treadmill that helps to power the subterranean world — A Selenite with big legs & feet runs on a treadmill to help power the subterranean world

Brett, who has created such fun full-length, low budget stop-motion gems as A NYMPHOID BARBARIAN IN DINOSAUR HELL (1990), ARACHNIA (2003), CLAWS (2015) and TRICLOPS (2016), handles this project with a deft, light touch.

A Selenite tinkers with some apparatus — A thinker Selenite tinkers with some apparatus

I especially liked the depiction of the different, amusing types of Selenites (really strong ones, really tiny ones, etc) and the conversation the protagonists have with the Grand Lunar, explaining to him the war-like nature of mankind, is cool (and quite damning).

An audience with the leader of the selenites: the Grand Lunar

"You mean to say that Earthmen are constantly killing each other in huge numbers for no apparent purpose?" — Grand Lunar: “You mean to say that Earthmen are constantly killing each other in huge numbers for no apparent purpose?”

This Selenite's a heavy-lifter! — This strong Selenite is a heavy-lifter!

A Selenite scientist uses a specifically-designed nose to sniff out different chemicals

A front view shot of the Grand Lunar stop-motion model used in the film

Profile view of the Grand Lunar stop-motion model. Love how the back of the throne supports his massive cranium!

Selenites are shocked at the thought of the large-scale wars on Earth

The stop-motion models are charming, built with a great economy of design, Dave Fitzgerald’s vocal work is also perfect for the production and I liked Brett’s depiction of the mooncalf (a food source for the Selenites) as a kind of grey-skinned, semi-comical quadruped with small antenna-like protrusions on its bulky head.

Since making FIRST MEN IN THE MOON Brett has tackled a TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA short and has now just finished his mini-version of JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH. Hopefully all of these adaptations will be released together one day!

FIRST MEN IN THE MOON is available as an extra on the DVD for Brett’s OUTPOST EARTH.

Monster Zone

Tag Archives: Brett Piper

Posters for the movies of Brett Piper

H.G. Wells’ First Men in the Moon (2017)

Devoted to every kind of movie and TV monster, from King Kong to Godzilla, from the Blob to Alien.