After a mixed reception from the public in the US and after receiving both the highest accolades and the most hateful critiques, "Splice", the latest film by Vicenzo Natali ("Cube") will land in UK cinemas on the 23rd of July.

This award-winning and award-nominated film (won the prestigious Sitges Film Festival Award to Best Special Effects, nominated for Best Film) is not for everybody's taste, for it is one of those films that, despite being presented as a generic sci-fi horror, with an apparently straightforward script, will surprise you, shock you, disgust you, move you and above all, it will provoke you to think outside your comfort zone.

Of course, if you go into the theatre, thinking to spend a couple of hours watching guts and blood sprinkled over a typical monster-vs-humans story, you are in for a dissapointment.

"Splice" is clever, funny, eery, outrageous, disturbing, downright scandalous, and it will creep into your subconcious mind and cling to your memories forever.

Oscar-winning Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley knew what they were doing when they accepted this script, and so did Guillermo del Toro, one of its executive producers.

Watch the trailer that we are offering you after our exclusive interview with Jason Board, physical special effects supervisor who has worked in the film and whose career in the field is also one availed by years of experience, working with acclaimed directors, award-winning special effects teams and Oscar-winning actors and actresses.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with JASON BOARD

Canadian Jason Board is one of the special effects technician behind “Splice” and have also supervised the special effects teams of other hit films such as  “Max Payne”, “The Incredible Hulk”, “16 Blocks”, “Frequency”, “Jason X”, “The Hurricane”, “Mimic”, amongst many others, as well as famous TV series such as “Nikita”, “Amerika” and “Evergreen”.

Jason, we know you have been extremely busy these days, working on set for other movie projects;  thank you for responding to our questions today, we really appreciate it.

1. MDM_ As we mention in our review, "Splice" won the Best Special Effects
at the 2009 Sitges Film Festival, a prestigious Catalonian festival. Which
was for you the hardest part of your work in this movie? What part do you
especially feel proud of?

1. JASON_ On this perticular project I was only a `day player`. I was most proud for the work of Toronto`s Terry Doyle (ACME FX), and Jim Peacock, in the design and construction of the incubation chamber. Their insight and effort made its physical animation easy and natural.

2. MDM_ Is yours a discipline in which it is best to know a bit of everything in order to work or is it best to specialise in one or two areas and be one of the experts at them?

2. JASON_ There is no question that our work as `physical effects technicians` speaks to the rennaisance philosopher. A ` Jack of all trades`, it is our need be at once: a cartographer; tailor; gunsmith; makeup artist; auto mechanic; engineer; mold maker; doctor; plumber; confidant...Specialization is for the innitiate and lost amongst peers.

3. MDM_ In "16 Blocks" there was a lot of field work involved, which was the
most challenging scene?

3. JASON_ As `Physical Effects Rigging Key` on 16 Blocks, my greatest challenge was the bus chase sequence, which was inspired and motivated by Laird McMurray (Laird FX), and the work of Chris Card, Arthur Langevine, and numerous others, who designed and built several buses, including a fully functional `reverse driver` for the alley chase.

Jason with his family - (Photograph provided)

4. MDM_ In your opinion, for your type of work, the best director is that
who...

4. JASON_ Motivates and leads. Listens, understands, and finds truth over vision. Without sounding cliche (or too much like an AA recital). The ideal director would change the things they can, accept the things they can't or shouldn't change, and posses the wisdom to differentiate between the two.

5. MDM_ And the best actor/actress would be that who.

5. JASON_ Does the same.... Oh ya..... And just be yourself!

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6. MDM_ What are the new techniques developed within the past decade which have most facilitated your type of work?

6. JASON_ It is not so much the origin of any given technique that has changed our industry, but rather the growing collaboration of  all types of special effects artists. The sort of selfless `goal oriented` approach that gave birth to ILM.

7. MDM_ The film in which you have felt most satisfied with your work and
why.

7. JASON_ Both `The Tuxedo` and `The Corruptor`. My work seemed humbled by the faith and devotion expressed by two masters of Chinese theatre.

8. MDM_ The film you wished you would have supervised the special effects
for would be...

8. JASON_ `Blade Runner`.... Do effects guys dream of anything else?

9. MDM_ Apart from the fantastic special effects, what other two powerful
reasons would you give to our readers in order for them to watch Splice?

9. JASON_ The surreal yet earthy tallents of Sarah Polley, sharing blood and blood stories with Howard Berger.

10. MDM_ Please, could you share some info about the projects you have
worked on, soon to be released, and the ones you are working on at the
moment?

10. JASON_ Not really allowed to do that, but looking forward to the release of 'Scott Pilgrim', and lighting up the screen with an all new exciting 'Nikita' series.