Rest in Peace Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013)

[Henry88]

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/05/07/ray-harryhausen-stop-motion-animation-pioneer-dies-at-92/

[Bob]

Probably very rare that there is a movie person that EVERYONE in the business (worth their weight anyway) knew of

[MartyS (Gromit)]

He was the master of giving stop motion characters real personality.

[Just-The-Trax]

The only thing more impressive than his longevity (93 years) is the body of work he left behind.

[LucasM]

He was the master of giving stop motion characters real personality.

[(Mostly) quoting myself from the RRRAAARRRGGGHHH!!! thread:]
So true.  The main one I always look to is the Ymir's birth in 20 Million Miles to Earth.  Where, after hatching, he[?] gets up and when the lights are turned on, he rubs his eyes.  Just marvelous and genius to think of doing such a thing.  That is still one of my favorite films.

I used to study his work on Super8 film frame by frame, read everything I could find about him, and from studying his work, did my own model and clay animation late in my teens.  [Still have my film, which runs about 18 minutes (ALL animated; no live action), but the main drive belt in my projector was made of real rubber and melted over the years.  Can't find a replacement.]  I still have a nice note from his wife from years ago, responding to a letter from me (he was out on location filming Golden Voyage of Sinbad at the time, which is why she said she responded instead of him).

[MartyS (Gromit)]

So true.  The main one I always look to is the Ymir's birth in 20 Million Miles to Earth.  Where, after hatching, he[?] gets up and when the lights are turned on, he rubs his eyes.  Just marvelous and genius to think of doing such a thing.  That is still one of my favorite films.

Yeah, it's all the little details like that, along with putting air bladders inside to make it look like they were breathing.  Stuff other stop motion animators just didn't bother with.

[Still have my film, which runs about 18 minutes (ALL animated; no live action), but the main drive belt in my projector was made of real rubber and melted over the years.  Can't find a replacement.]

Projectors are pretty cheap on ebay, there are so many of them people are trying to get rid of...

[BiteMe316]

Wow!!!  I think I'll dig through my collection and watch a bunch of his movies tonight before Mythbusters.  The world has a lost a legend.   

[Mrs. Dick Courier]

so many other movies tried to copy what he did, but nobody else had the charm

Notably two Rifftrax, Planet of Dinosaurs and Jack the Giant Killer (or is it Slayer?)  One of my fave lines in the first is "Tell Ray Harryhausen I love him!"

He was awesome

[LucasM]

So true.  The main one I always look to is the Ymir's birth in 20 Million Miles to Earth.  Where, after hatching, he[?] gets up and when the lights are turned on, he rubs his eyes.  Just marvelous and genius to think of doing such a thing.  That is still one of my favorite films.

Yeah, it's all the little details like that, along with putting air bladders inside to make it look like they were breathing.  Stuff other stop motion animators just didn't bother with.

Indeed.  He literally breathed life into his creations.

[Still have my film, which runs about 18 minutes (ALL animated; no live action), but the main drive belt in my projector was made of real rubber and melted over the years.  Can't find a replacement.]

Projectors are pretty cheap on ebay, there are so many of them people are trying to get rid of...

I looked just as soon as I'd read this (earlier today, kinda' hurrying at that point because the massage therapist was soon to arrive), and what is at the top of the listing?  The EXACT projector that I have (though not in as good condition) with 5 minutes left.  I took it as a good omen, so I looked a little further and there are people who are selling replacement belts for this projector for $14!  I'd looked before, but there was nothing available then.

So thank you VERY much for reminding me to look again.    Soon as I'm a tad more functional, I'll get some of the belts (person had multiple listings for them).  Then I can see my film again for the first time in nearly three decades.


Now, back to Ray...
I don't think he gets the appreciation he should from those born more recently.  Because something those growing up watching today's films don't quite grasp (or care about): for what is seen on-screen for recent fantasy/adventure films, there are - on average - 7-10 minutes of credits now at the end of a film detailing the hundreds of people involved in making what ended up on the screen.

For any film of his?  One name: Ray Harryhausen.  The special effects (with the exception of Bubo and Pegasus) were all done by just this one incredibly gifted man who had a marvelous imagination and the talent to back it up.

We are lucky that this man, when young, was captured by King Kong every bit as much as Fay Wray.  And he embraced the giant ape from that point on.  Thank you, Ray.

[Johnny Unusual]

Yeah, same about this.  Me made monster movies that looked amazing.  And I'm not here to rag on CGI but I prefer the tactile elements of those monsters over the slicker CGI stuff that only rarely looks tangible.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sYz1J97kdE0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sYz1J97kdE0</a>

[Darth Geek]

I really cool video of Joe Dante interviewing Ray Harryhausen. Two of my favorite things together, like chocolate and peanut butter

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LchA1bLHSws" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/LchA1bLHSws</a>


I find it ironic that Harryhausen's movies were effects movies first, and everything was built around the special effects. Which normally in Hollywood is the recipe for the worst and most shallow movies. But his were really good.

[LucasM]

If anyone is interested, the final volume of "Ray Harryhausen - Master of the Majicks" is still available for preorder.  I believe the previous two sold out WAY before they shipped.  Odd as it may be, the final volume is volume 1.  I think that is because they wanted the 'meatier' film work to be the first book released so that backing would be there for them (until people saw how incredible the books were, it would be hard to get enough people to part with the money these books cost to produce if the content was just his early, pre-feature, work).  Volume 1 is his start in film, and now will have words about his death.

I have both the prior two (as well as the book reprinting all of the FXRH issues [which I have originals of for all but the first]).  These books, though pricey ($80+shipping), are absolutely gorgeous.  They are huge, and heavy (5 lbs), and are packed with so many photos and so much information they are overwhelming.  I have this pre-ordered, and just thought others might be interested.

Picture is link to the main website page for this final volume:


It is also on Kickstarter, here: Vol. 1 of "Ray Harryhausen - Master of the Majicks"

[Johnny Unusual]

You should post that on the kickstarter thread as well.

[LucasM]

You should post that on the kickstarter thread as well.

I should've known there was a kickstarter thread I guess.   [Problem is, it takes a lot of effort for me to mentally filter out threads in the 'New Replies' page for threads I no longer want to visit, and I've kinda' maxed out what I can keep up with with what I've got.]  If you want to quote me there, you can.

[Since I've been following the pre-production of these books on their main website since a couple years before the first was published, I didn't really think of it as a 'kickstarter' creation (I don't think any of the prior books were on kickstarter, just this final one).]