Yesterday, May 7th 2013, the passing of Ray Harryhausen was announced. A
few words are appropriate. This site is dedicated to just one of Ray's
many, influential works. Actually 'influential' seems an inadequate word to
me. Among many admirers and more than a few detractors, Ray's work has become a kind of touchstone. I don't think I've past a day in my adult life
where I don't think of some puppet pose, a patch of scaly skin, or stoney canyon, through a Harryhausen filter. So engrained in my psyche
are the images he created that even something as simple as a grove of
trees and tumbled down rock wall, evoke some 'Harryhausen' moment. When I
was eight years old I saw "One Million Years B.C." and I was obsessed
for days with the Allosaurus and it's fluid, serpentine tail. It's
ferocity, almost tangible in it's 'crazy eye'd' stare. Debates fill web
pages about the efficacy of stop-motion vs. CG. There are those who,
justifiably, cannot abide by the 'strobbing' effect that is a by-product of stop-motion animation. And then there are those who look past that
minor artifact and see 'Life'. There is something fantastic being
offered. Something that walks out in the full light of day, with scales
and muscles and satyr legs and engages in intimate combat with the
little rear-screen projected protagonists. That was the kind of stuff to
buy Monster mags for. To stay home 'sick' from school if "Mysterious
Island" was on T.V. For thousands of young minds that inspiration led to an "I want to do
that!" awakening that has spawned a vast industry. The technology that
we now worship, has given Ray's, mostly well meaning, critics everything
they wanted: The end of strobbing, endless motion blur, constantly moving cameras. Gone are
the oft criticized, 'stagy left to right' locked down compositions. The
cliche`d arm cocked stance. The grainy rear screen hot-spot in the
background. Creatures now flex and bulge with wriggling skin. There are
no boundaries keeping them from moving anywhere in the frame. Seven
skeletons are nothing, now you can have thousands. There is no arguing
that technology has given 'Life' to fantastic creatures in ways that Ray
could never have dreamed of, let alone achieved with a rubber puppet
and small projection screen. But there is something else that has to be
admitted. Technology has obscured the artist. The product of the
contemporary visual effects studio is certainly polished. That is now a
given. But where do we go from here? The animated creature is mired in a
world of 'sameness'. When I see a creature in a movie now I know
exactly what to expect. I know the camera will move wildly in and out of
the action. It will blur the image into a impressionistic collage of
streaks and colors. The camera will shake with every step and obligatory
roar, (just a side note: ever notice the camera shaking when a real
elephant walks through a shot? I'm just saying...). Lovers of all things
CG can pat themselves on the back and revel in glory of having 'pushed
the envelope', I take nothing from you. But I will always extol the
virtues of the 'artist' who leaves an indelible stamp on his work. I
will always love the work of Ray Harryhausen because, among other
things, his work reveals his person. requiescat in pace Ray Harryhausen
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