The year 9 media students are watching Clash of the Titans to get an understanding of how an older special effects ‘blockbuster’ movie was made – this one in 1981. The genius behind it, and other successful monster films such as Jason and the Argonauts and First Men in the moon is Ray Harryhausen.
When it comes to motion picture special effects, there is only one name that personifies movie magic – Ray Harryhausen. From his debut films with George Pal to his final film, Harryhausen imbued magic and visual strength to motion picture special effects as no other technician has, before or since. The 1960s were Harryhausen’s best years, among the highlights being his reunions with dinosaurs in Hammer Films’ One Million Years B.C. (1966) and The Valley of Gwangi(1969). His pace slowed in the 1970s, but he produced three of his masterworks during that period: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973); Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger(1977) and Clash of the Titans (1981). It was not until 1992 that Harryhausen finally achieved film immortality with an honorary Oscar, a long-overdue tribute to the one name that personifies visual magic. From IMDB
By far one of the most exciting things about Harryhausen is the absolutely huge list of fantastic monsters he brought to life on the screen BEFORE the age of computer effects and animation. This website below does a great job introducing all of them:
The skeletal warriors from Jason and the Argonauts are may monster fans favourite characters – especially as they move so realistically.
Below is a fantastic documentary (in 6 parts on youtube) THE HARRYHAUSEN CHRONICLES – this is essential viewing for any one who wants a detailed look at the great film makers career:
Categories: Documentary
Visual Arts 