Cinema lost a living legend today with the passing of Ray Harryhausen, the maestro of stop-motion special effects. Inspired as a teenager by King Kong, Harryhausen spent his career creating monsters drawn from myth and pseudo-science that took hold of the popular imagination. If anything, Harryhausen’s work looks even better now that we’re so firmly in the digital-effects era — we can better appreciate the artistry that went into creating his gorgeously terrifying creatures. Here’s a quick rundown of my ten favorite Harryhausen beasties.
10. Talos from Jason and the Argonauts
The striking thing about several of the creatures on this list is how much emotion Harryhausen fit into their faces — the way the monsters actually seem to be “acting.” And then there’s Talos, the living statue, who pretty much defined the “emotionless killing machine” look until The Terminator came along. READ FULL STORY »
