Director Jan de Bont recalled the “goddamned real” effects that went into 1996’s Twister and “ultimately decided whether the movie was made” as the sequel premieres in theaters.
“We weren’t sure at the time if we could even make the movie, because of the difficulty of the effects,” he told Vulture. “And it took a long time — the hardware and the software had to be designed for the movie. It was like two steps forward and one step backward, but it was exciting.
Jan de Bont reminisces about how he got his actors to stop acting and just face the (digital) storm
When it came to marketing Jan de Bont’s 1996 film Twister, there was absolutely no question about it: The star of the film was not Helen Hunt or Bill Paxton, who play a pair of storm chasers going after one last tornado system before finalizing their divorce. The star of the film was the goddamn tornado.
Sold as a special-effects extravaganza so buzzworthy that it was the basis for a theme park attraction, Twister expertly blends CG tornadoes and disaster-movie practical effects so effectively that the visuals still hold up today. (Viewers can appreciate that thanks to a new 4K Blu-ray release of the blockbuster.) To commemorate the film’s rerelease, director Jan de Bont spoke to Polygon about the film’s still-remarkable blend of digital and practical effects, and the ways he wanted his actors to stop acting and just feel how scary the storms were.
“One of the scenes we did as a test, to see if we could make it believable, was the opening with the farm and the family going into the shelter. Another test we did was a shot from the inside of a car, because there would be so many images [like that] — seeing something come at you from the storm and hit the windshield, all while you’re moving forward in a real car. It looked so real. It was such a great effect — something coming right toward the camera, and it really hits the windshield.
“The studio people were totally stunned at how effective it was. That ultimately decided whether the movie was made. Nothing else. Not the script,” added de Bont.