Ray Harryhausen, the king of stop-motion animation and special effects, has sadly passed away today. He was 92 years old.
The continuing popularity and overuse of CGI imagery, creatures, and beings in action, sci-fi, fantasy and adventure films today wouldn't have existed if not for the likes of Harryhausen, Willis O'Brien, and David W. Allen.
Though I like everyone was first wowed by O'Brien's work with King Kong as a kid, it was the large body of work from Harryhausen that truly captured my eye. I remember glaring instantly at pictures of his works in movie books, reading all about the different monsters, aliens, and gods crafted from his hands and envisioned from his mind. When I spotted his films in TV listings or at my local video stores, I was sure to kick back and watch them with glee.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers was always my favorite of his; the striking terror of the flying saucers and their resulting destruction of Washington D.C. monuments was a spectacular thrill, jump-starting a popular trope utilized in nearly every disaster and alien invasion film since.
Of course, if it wasn't for his work and the scary creature design of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and his early job with Mighty Joe Young, we wouldn't have Godzilla.
He continued his string of frightening animals and sci-fi threats with It Came from Beneath the Sea, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Valley of Gwangi, and One Million Years B.C.; the latter famously had his dinosaurs play second bill to the lovely fur bikini-clad Raquel Welch. However, it was the fantasy realm where his special effects work has become legendary: the man vs. skeleton battle in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, the skeleton army of Jason and the Argonauts, and the Pegasus, Medusa, and Kraken of the original Clash of the Titans.
By the time Clash came out in 1981, the visual effects department had evolved significantly due to Star Wars and Harryhausen's work was harshly attacked for being a relic of the past. Despite the critical reception causing him to retire, he continued to spread his legacy through a series of books, film cameos and acknowledgements, and the eventual video releases and box sets of his films, all featuring his name front and center.
He will sorely be missed.
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