In Memoriam: Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013)

Sad news reached MovieScene late last night and my blog today:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/146913/ray_harryhausen_overleden

The greatest living legend of special effects lives no more, but the legend remains forever.

It's ironic to know that, even in this effects saturated age where audiences have been completely spoiled by an overabundance of computer generated imagery, there's very next to no effects pioneers whose names have become household terms to the realm of special effects in the same regard as 'Harryhausen' has become over the years. Truth is, Harryhausen was just one man responsible for some of the most memorable fantasy action sequences in film lore, whereas his contemporary fellow effects technicians remain a vast, faceless army of pixel pushing drones. Their work, though at times undeniably impressive, just lacks the utter charm and persona of Harryhausen's stop motion creatures that have thrilled and inspired audiences for decades, and will for many decades to follow. Though never truly realistic - which was not particularly the master's intent since he realized full well the limitations of stop motion photography and generally aimed for a dream like atmosphere to add to the feeling of fantasy - his creations always felt more alive than most of their later counterparts.

Harryhausen was always a guarantee for a thrill ride of a movie experience, and even though he only worked on sixteen theatrical movies in total from 1949 till 1981, they are sixteen of the finest Sci-Fi and fantasy pictures ever, really the Lord of the Rings and Jurassic Park equivalents of those days. Though I am saddened by his death (even though he lived to an appropriate old age), I am glad his work will survive him and will always be remembered with general enthusiasm, not so much because it has withstood the test of time but because it has surpassed the test of time, proving that true effects craftsmanship doesn't have to be photorealistic to make for mesmerizingly exciting action sequences and leave a lasting impression.

My only regret when it comes to Harryhausen? I should have went to that masterclass of him in 2005... Oh well, at least I got some autographs on my copies of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. I should go and have myself a Harryhausen monster movie marathon now.