Ray Harryhausen

"Back in the early 80's Tom Baker made contact with Ray Harryhausen via a friend. Tom would stop over at Ray's place in Kensington, and both would get shitfaced on good brandy. Diana, his wife, banned Tom, after Tom weed in their fireplace."

omg

that is awesome

way nastier and gorier than, say Gremlins two years later which was a '15'

Eh, I dunno about that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zReX7OpfZXY

I saw Clash Of The Titans at the cinema as a kid and it was a massive experience. It inspired me later to try and do my own animation on a Super 8. So many of his films blew my mind as a child.

films in LA for a week, Sat night in Jersey City:

http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/the-king-of-stop-motion-ray-harryhausen-remembered

http://loewsjersey.org/images/pdfs/jun13b.pdf

have never seen this Beast ... wish he would rampage through contemporary Wall Street.

http://filmforum.com/movies/more/the_beast_from_20000_fathoms

^^^ just wached this. pre-godzilla! rollercoaster climax is good and there's a majestic bit early on where the monster attacks a lighthouse. as cool as the monster is (partic the tail movements) it's the debris that's really how-did-you-do-that.

now i just watched jason and the argonauts. skellies w swords are badass for sure but best in show is that amaaaaaaaaaaaazing titan statue who clambers carefully off his pedestal, leans against it for a moment getting his animated bearings, then comes implacably at our heroes and destroys the argo before hera clues jason into the service hatch on the statue's heel, which when pried open gushes steam and what looks like hydraulic fluid. his technicolor corroded-bronze skin is the greatest uncanniest thing--and the screeching when he moves!

I was watching Monster Inc. with my son last night, had never caught this shout-out before:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100616021853/pixar/images/0/0c/Harryhausens.jpg

happy 100th, ray