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The Surprisingly Deep History of Cinematic Fake Blood

It’s finally here! Halloween (Nerdoween if we want to be accurate around these parts) has arrived. You are probably in the midst of getting your costume ready for the big party. Now, since it’s 2015, most of you are probably making sure your Captain America costume is as cinematically accurate as possible. For those of you that are going the more traditional route, you’re preparing your outfit to be the grossest thing your friends will ever see.

Thanks to this video by Filmmaker IQ, you will now have a slight advantage over everyone else. Host John P. Hess takes viewers through the history of fake blood from the stage to the silver screen. He recounts its beginnings at the Theatre du Grand Guignol in Paris through how it was used today.

Hess walks viewers through the four major types of fake blood used in the industry: Grand Guignol, chocolate syrup (Yep you read that right. The famous shower scene from 1960’s Psycho used it), Kensington Gore, and Dick Smith blood. He also gives step-by-step instructions on how to make each type yourself. Well, except for the chocolate syrup. I can tell you this: if you have about $3.00 and access to the grocery store, you are 95% done.

Hess also shows the “movie magic” directors like Scorcese and Tarantino used to avoid harsh MPAA ratings while still maintaining the amount of gore on the screen. There is some great history and tips in this video. If you want to enhance your zombie costume, this is definitely the one to watch.

You can check out more of Filmmaker IQ’s video on their YouTube channel here.

So what do you think? Are you even more prepared for your Halloween parties, or have you lost your appetite and are going to stay home and read? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.


HT: Laughing Squid
Image: Warner Brothers

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