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 Post subject: R.I.P. Ray Harryhausen
PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 12:57 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:23 pm
Posts: 527
Another one of the greats passes.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=304330103034168&id=125012827632564
Raymond Frederick Harryhausen
Born: Los Angeles 29th June 1920
Died: London 7th May 2013.

The Harryhausen family regret to announce the death of Ray Harryhausen, Visual Effects pioneer and stop-motion model animator. He was a multi-award winner which includes a special Oscar and BAFTA. Ray’s influence on today’s film makers was enormous, with luminaries; Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, John Landis and the UK’s own Nick Park have cited Harryhausen as being the man whose work inspired their own creations.

Harryhausen’s fascination with animated models began when he first saw Willis O’Brien’s creations in KING KONG with his boyhood friend, the author Ray Bradbury in 1933, and he made his first foray into filmmaking in 1935 with home-movies that featured his youthful attempts at model animation. Over the period of the next 46 years, he made some of the genres best known movies – MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949), IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955), 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957), MYSTERIUOUS ISLAND (1961), ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (1966), THER VALLEY OF GWANGI (1969), three films based on the adventures of SINBAD and CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981). He is perhaps best remembered for his extraordinary animation of seven skeletons in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963) which took him three months to film.

Harryhausen’s genius was in being able to bring his models alive. Whether they were prehistoric dinosaurs or mythological creatures, in Ray’s hands they were no longer puppets but became instead characters in their own right, just as important as the actors they played against and in most cases even more so.

Today The Ray & Diana Harryhausen Foundation, a charitable Trust set up by Ray on the 10th April 1986, is devoted to the protection of Ray’s name and body of work as well as archiving, preserving and restoring Ray’s extensive Collection.

Tributes have been heaped upon Harryhausen for his work by his peers in recent years.

“Ray has been a great inspiration to us all in special visual industry. The art of his earlier films, which most of us grew up on, inspired us so much.” “Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no STAR WARS”
George Lucas.

“THE LORD OF THE RINGS is my ‘Ray Harryhausen movie’. Without his life-long love of his wondrous images and storytelling it would never have been made – not by me at least”
Peter Jackson

“In my mind he will always be the king of stop-motion animation”
Nick Park

"His legacy of course is in good hands. Because it’s carried in the DNA of so many film fans."
Randy Cook

"You know I’m always saying to the guys that I work with now on computer graphics “do it like Ray Harryhausen”
Phil Tippett

“What we do now digitally with computers, Ray did digitally long before but without computers. Only with his digits.”
Terry Gilliam.

"His patience, his endurance have inspired so many of us."
Peter Jackson

"Ray, your inspiration goes with us forever."
Steven Spielberg

"I think all of us who are practioners in the arts of science fiction and fantasy movies now all feel that we’re standing on the shoulders of a giant. If not for Ray’s contribution to the collective dreamscape, we wouldn’t be who we are."
James Cameron


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PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 1:46 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 3:38 pm
Posts: 56
Location: Northeastern Kentucky
I just posted this on my facebook page. One of the things that really concerns me is that the current generation of kids (generally speaking) aren't going to understand the creativity and masterful work Ray Harryhausen did. As a kid I pretty much caught the tail end of the golden age of his career, but it made me want to do similar things. It opened up a whole creative side I didn't realize I had.

Film had such a huge impact on me and his work in particular (along with Lucas/Star Wars). My wife and I were just talking about doing a mini marathon of his films not too long ago.

He's always going to be remembered and will be missed. I hadn't really thought about this until now, but my dad took me to see a lot films that had Harryhausen's work in it...so it means that much more.


Rest in Peace Ray Harryhausen.


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PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 2:32 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:14 pm
Posts: 629
Location: Los Angeles
No words can approximate the loss we in the 'thon community feel today. Would there have been a Marathon without Ray Harryhausen. Probably. But, would it have been the same? No way in hell.

As hard as it may be for some younger Marathoners to fully comprehend, Harryhausen's work truly transformed the cinema. His Honorary Oscar a few years ago was richly deserved. When one watches a modern day special effects film, the end credits roll can sometimes take 5 full minutes. Harryhausen often worked alone (or with just an assistant or two) to achieve some of the most remarkable effects in the history of cinema. Seeing JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (his finest achievement overall IMHOP) as a young kid scared the hell out of me, but in a good way in the long run!

In retrospect, Harryhausen had the good sense to retire after 1981's CLASH OF THE TITANS. He could see that computers were taking over and that his hand-crafted masterworks were already considered passe in the era of STAR WARS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS etc. It's a damn shame, however, that were cheated out of 30 more years of his wonderous creations.

On a personal note, I got to meet Ray several times over the years. He is also a member of what my Writing partner Paul Parla and I call, "The June 29th club" (Paul and I were born on that date, along with Ray AND Bernard Herrmann!). One glorious afternoon about 20 years ago, Paul and his wife arranged for a private get together at Ray's home near the beach. We four spent an entire afternoon together talking about his work, sipping tea and just enjoying the afternoon. A finer afternoon I cannot recollect.

Certainly, a tribute in some way at next year's Boston and Ohio Marathons will be in order. But, it will still not be enough to fully thank the man for his contributions.

_________________
Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:54 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:15 pm
Posts: 360
Location: Akron, OH
I just watched Jason and the Argonauts for the first time last night, and it was amazing! RIP to a truly creative guy.


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