Yesterday was a sad day for monster fandom, as pioneering stop-motion animator and fan favorite Ray Harryhausen passed away at the age of 92. Ray was a true inspiration and his films inspired a legion of fans worldwide. His work had an undeniable charm to it, a "look" that is instantly recognizable and synonymous to the process of stop motion animation itself. Talk with anyone about animation in a film and you're likely to hear the term "Harryhausen type" effects. His films are that powerful, impactful and unforgettable - his name becomes almost an adjective.
Among the list of his movies are some true sci-fi and fantasy classics:
Mighty Joe Young, The Beast from 20 Fathoms, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, Jason and the Argonauts, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Clash of the Titans and many more!
I have fond memories of seeing both Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger and Clash of the Titans in the theater. They sparked my imagination and led me to read up on the Greek mythos and also to seek out more of Harryhausen's work. Years later it was my privilege to show these films to MY children, and watch the wonder in their eyes as these fantastic creatures played forth on the screen before them. There is a timeless quality to Harryhausen's work that stands the test of time - they'll never go out of style or look dated.
Below is a tribute my friend Dave Conover made for a Ray Harryhausen banquet at the Wonderfest convention a few years back when Ray was a guest. It is one of the most personal and touching tributes I've ever seen, a true love-letter from a fan to one of his heroes. Thanks Dave, for saying this so eloquently:
Well it's a regular monsoon here in Nashville and the surrounding areas. Lots of folks have flooding and weather reports show thumderstorms and a tornado watch for most of the evening for all of Middle Tennessee. I-24 and I-65 interstates are both shut down due to flooding - there are cars floating under water. Insane! SO our Spookhand gig tonight is canceled. I was looking forward to playing it and breaking out our new tunes, but Mother Nature will not be denied.
Last night I saw the remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS with my son Luke. I thought it was... uh, well, kinda so-so. CGI was good in parts, nor so good in others. I really didn't care for the character of Hades at all - he was very irritating and used this whispering raspy voice that was not scary, just stupid. They made the Pegasus black for some reason, which just didn't seem right at all. Actually thinking about it, that really bothers me for some reason. I guess they thought a black stallion with wings looked tougher than a white one, but Persues looked so heroic in the old movie on the white horse defying all odds to save the day.
The Kraken was very awesome looking, but did nothing. We had this huge buildup to this awesome beast that was going to appear, and as soon as it did Persues defeated it. Ho hum. Big deal.
I honestly had to fight to stay awake during this movie. I didn't care for the overall look of the film. During battle scenes they used the fast shutter rate effect that is so overused lately, and it's one effect (gimmick) I wish Hollywood would forget about - you can't tell what the hell is going on, it's all too closeup and grainy.
I wish it had not been in 3D, as it really didn't add anything to it. It was honestly kind of annoying and didn't seem like this was intended as a 3D film. I didn't even know I was seeing the 3D version until they handed me the glasses. "Oh, okay" I thought. But after a few minutes I noticed my son had taken his glasses off.
Overall the original kicks ass all over this one. Harryhausen's animation DESTROYS the cgi in this version, especially where the Medusa was concerned. The original seemed so huge and majestic - this one lacks all the grandeur of that film - Skip this one, see the original.
Clash of the Titans 2010
2.5 out of 5 skulls.
Here is the trailer for the 1981 Clash of the Titans just to wash away the bad taste of this one...
Stuart Feedback Andrews, host of Cinephobia Radio (and Rue Morgue Radio) posted a fantastic interview with stop motion animation master Ray Harryhausen on the second episode of his podcast. He chats with Ray for a full 30 minutes about his work and career, a really in depth and well done interview.
He also talks to writer Tony Dalton in this episode about the career of Ray Harryhausen - check it out here:
This video is a loving tribute to Ray Harryhausen done by Dave Conover, convention organizer for Wonderfest. It is really, really well done. Check it out!!
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