Behind the visual effects magic of Ready Player One

Ready Player One was a nostalgia-fest for pop culture enthusiasts (myself included), driven by director Steven Spielberg.

Upon first viewing, I was left feeling oddly cold by a seemingly endless montage of nods to classic ephemera. However, the recreation of the hotel from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining was nothing short of spectacular and the magicians from Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) have released a VFX showreel.



Repeated viewings, over Christmas, revealed more easter eggs and solid performances from the main cast. Tye Sheridan (Parzival) looks a lot like a young Spielberg and has great chemistry with Olivia Cooke (Artemis). If there's ever a flashback in Stranger Things, Cooke should be cast as a young Winona Ryder. Just saying.