06-29-2008, 09:58 AM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Warrington, UK
Posts: 791
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Ray Harryhausen is 88 today :-)
There have been a few bits of bad news relating to the film industry in recent weeks, notably for me the passing of Stan Winston. So I thought it wouldn't hurt to mention a bit of good news Today is Ray Harryhausen's 88th birthday He is the man I most admire in the film industry so I hope he has a really great day relaxing and/or celebrating. I'll be picking out one of his films to watch later on and watching it this evening. I think it will be "Mysterious Island" or "First Men In The Moon" as it a while since I watched either of them.
Although it is now over 20 years since he produced his last feature film, Clash of the Titans in 1981, he has been keeping busy on all sorts of projects writing books, lecturing and attending conventions all around the World. He is even moving back into making films. After supervising the colourisation of a classic 1930's version of 'She' produced by his mentor Willis O'Brien and three of his own early films he is now going to be Producer for a film entitled 'War Eagles' due for release in 2010.
Just in case anyone doesn't know who I'm talking about, just take a look at his entry in the IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366063/
I think is a fairly safe bet you will know or have seen at least one of his films at some time. Possibly his best known epic was 'Jason and the Argonauts' way back in 1963. The really interesting thing to note about this is the title credits which show:
Special Visual Effects by Ray Harryhausen
The point being he did everything, unlike in modern films where this work is carried out by 'a cast of thousands'. I hope he is around for a very long time to come.
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Kevin F Stubbs
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06-29-2008, 04:26 PM
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#2
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Dismember
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Venice Ca
Posts: 7,248
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*Happy Birthday Ray* 
We owe you much
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toby is offline
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06-29-2008, 05:39 PM
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#3
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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: glendale
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and they're remaking clash of the titans!
harryhausen must be spinning in his grave....
: )
jin
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jin choung is offline
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06-29-2008, 06:34 PM
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#4
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Dismember
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Venice Ca
Posts: 7,248
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uhhh... harryhausen... still alive...
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toby is offline
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06-29-2008, 06:51 PM
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#5
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Banned
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i know... that's why it's funny!
jin
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jin choung is offline
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06-29-2008, 07:03 PM
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#6
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Spaced
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Sheffield UK
Posts: 1,497
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Harryhausen the Master. Along with his friend Ray Bradbury, a sci fi / fantasy. I was lucky enough to see him on his recent lecture tour of the UK and he revealed he didn't even keep notes about the movements of his characters. He animated the hydra's heads entirely from memory!
I don't think I've yet seen any CGI that has the same drama and sense of wonder as the animation in Jason and the Argonauts, maybe Oshi's Avalon and Ghost in the Shell excepted. So much CG today is too eager to impress without furthering the story or developing characterisation. Harryhausen was an aspiring actor in his youth and you can see it expressed in his animation.
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bobakabob is offline
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06-30-2008, 01:05 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Somewhere, Out there...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jin choung
i know... that's why it's funny!
jin
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Um... no.
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06-30-2008, 01:43 AM
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#8
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Dismember
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I just watched "Corpse Bride" again (yes, pathetic story/directing, but amazing visuals) , and there's a part where the groom plays a piano - the plaque on the piano, which would normally say "Steinway", reads "Harryhausen".
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06-30-2008, 03:07 AM
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#9
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Recycled User
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toby
the plaque on the piano, which would normally say "Steinway", reads "Harryhausen".
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Nice, I missed that. In Monsters & Co, IIRC, there's an "Harryhausen bar".
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06-30-2008, 04:14 AM
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#10
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is a washing machine.
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 964
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!!w00t!!
Happy Birthday Ray! 
The man is a legend, and is also half the reson I got into animation.
flakester.
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06-30-2008, 04:18 AM
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#11
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ShortsightedSithAssassin
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
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OT: I was born the same day that Willis O'Brien died (8 Nov 62). Was reading about him in Cinefex and it kinda spooked me out. I was hoping that his skills might have been magically transmitted into me...
Sadly not!
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06-30-2008, 07:43 AM
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#12
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cat servant
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: england U.K
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hapy b day!
i have a few dvd's of his work...earth vs the flying saucers will be on my screen tonight!
steve g
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cresshead is offline
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06-30-2008, 03:40 PM
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#13
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inigo07
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Midwest US
Posts: 2,678
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Even almost half a century later, Jason and the Argonauts is still cool to watch.
He's really a master. Who knows, LW and visual effects today, period might not have even existed if it weren't for him.
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Steamthrower is offline
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06-30-2008, 04:04 PM
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#14
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Banned
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Location: glendale
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well let's not go nuts. there was still willie obrien for stop motion (ray's mentor) and lots of other guys for doing vfx on different levels. he's up there but he's not the end all be all either....
jin
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jin choung is offline
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06-30-2008, 04:09 PM
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#15
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inigo07
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Midwest US
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I'll keep my nuts to myself then, I guess. 
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Steamthrower is offline
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