Pop Culture Shock Collectibles, an âindustry-leading companyâ which has acquired such illustrious licenses such as Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, The Howling, Mortal Kombat, and An American Werewolf in London is launching a Kickstarter campaign to  make their own film, one they consider a love letter to the âCreature Featuresâ of the 1980âs.
The film, which is set to be directed by PCSâs very own President, Jerry Macaluso, is titled Portal Popperz, and aims to celebrate a lost genre, not just in spirit, but also seeks to dabble in the slowly disappearing art of practical puppeteering techniques used to create the creatures. If youâre a fan of films like Critters and Gremlins, as the concept art below will illustrate, the filmmakers aim to celebrate and pay homage to these much-loved creature features.
âI really miss the creatures of the 80âs.â says Macaluso, âCool rubber monsters with tons of personality. The workSteve JohnsonRob Bottin, andChris Walasdid so well, and how films likeGremlinshelped perfect the balance between horror and humor.â
Portal Popperz, which is led by a number of successful FX industry veterans, has already raised the majority of its budget privately but has set a funding goal of $75,000 to complete the necessary funds to achieve the filmmakerâs vision.
Malacuso also said about the film, âMy years sculpting and painting monsters on dozens of films led me to use those skills for merchandising with my collectibles company. Now I get to use that experience and the connections Iâve been fortunate enough to make to dip my toe back into filmmaking, a luxury I know most campaigns trying to fulfill rewards donât have.â
The filmâs plot is as follows: âIn the film, an augmented reality game called âPortal Popperzâ has become a cultural phenomenon, and it seems like everyone has their eyes glued to their smartphones trying to catch the digital creatures. But when a motley crew of misfits discovers the Popperz are spawning in the real world, itâs up to our unlikely heroes to halt their path of destruction.â
Filming for the film is scheduled to start in February.
The Kickstarter campaign for Portal Popperz is now live! There are lots of different reward tiers if you are interested. It is currently at 39 backers and has already raised more than $4,000. It ends February 2nd, so you have plenty of time to back this project. You can do so in the link provided.
For more information visit Portal Popperzâs Facebook, Pop Culture Shock Collectibleâs Facebook and their official website.