When I was growing up, I didn't want to be a fireman or an astronaut, I wanted to be a visual effects wizard. I then realized that a person has to study and actually know stuff to do it, so I decided against it. But I still love visual effects, and here are ten reasons why. These may not be the best, but they definately look really cool.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1. Aliens Reveal Themselves.....Aliens
I don't want to go into too much, just brief explanations of what I'm talking about and why they're on here:
Aliens, when we first meet the creatures in the hallway, the effects for the aliens are so much more grand than the first film, and the way that the walls just come alive is great. One of my favorite scenes ever.
Terminator, when the robotic endoskeleton gets up out of the fire and keeps going after Sarah and Reese. This is just a great scene, and the effects by Stan Winston kick ass.
Willow, I have to give props to this because, even though it looks fake, they created the later over-used morphing effect for this film. Several years later, everything from T2 to Michael Jackson was using it, but they created it in '88 just so they could show how much Willow messes up.
Frighteners, this is one of my favorite movies, and another of my favorite scenes. It doesn't really do anything new, it just looks awesome.
Death Becomes Her, the effects in this are amazing, when Streep walks in backwards, with her head turned the wrong way. Then she picks it up to fix it and her skin is all rubber-like. Great stuff, won the Oscar that year and deserves every bit of it.
Temple of Doom, the effects at the end aren't all that great looking back now, but when it came out in '84 it was incredible. I picked this scenes in particular based on Mola Rum's fall as he scrapes on the rock. It's the first time I can think of seeing a shot that seems to really move like that, fallng at such speed following his body.
Men In Black, this has lots of great effects, but this very simple yet complex shot tops 'em all. He just pulls his skin back with his hand. It's funny in the context of the film, but great looking too.
The Ring, I don't like giving things away, but the scene in question is great, and it's simple yet rewarding. Like alot of things on this list, this doesn't break any ground, it just works, very very well.
Predator, not a particualr scene, just the shots at the beginning when you see the creature in his 'cloaked' form jumping around the trees. They could have made it look more obvious or something, but the fact that if you don't pay attention you may miss it makes it look more real.
Titanic, another film with a lot of good effects, but this one takes the cake. When the ship splits, and they have to start running up to the 'top' while all of these people are falling off. My favorite part of the entire movie is when the one guy falls off and "dings" off the propeller.
NOW FOR THE TOP TEN:
1. The Transformation:
2. T-1000 Walks Through Bars:
3. The Battle of Helm's Deep:
4. Death Star Battle:
5. T-Rex Attack:
6. Neo vs. Agent Smith:
7. Skeleton Warriors Battle:
8. The Water 'Pod':
9. Going To the Tyrell Corporation:
10. Inside Carl (Round 1):
2. Endoskeleton Picks Up Chase.....The Terminator
3. Fin Razell morphs.....Willow
4. "Death" Emerges From Bathroom Mirror.....The Frighteners
5. Streep After Fall Down Stairs.....Death Becomes Her
6. Bridge Fall/Mola Rum's Death.....Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
7. Edgar Pulls Skin Back.....Men In Black
8. "She Never Sleeps" (Noah's Death).....The Ring
9. Something In the Trees.....Predator
10. Titanic Splits.....Titanic
This is the coolest looking thing I've ever seen in a film. Not only is it realistic and effective, but since its release in '81, it hasn't been topped. No computer effect can come near it, and though Van Helsing may come close when it comes out next year, this will always be the model for the werewolf transformation. Gruesome, painful, and slightly humorous. (The song "Bad Moon Rising" by CCR makes the scene work even better, which is one of my personal top 10 best uses of a song in a film).
Here's a film that has enough cool effects shot to fill up an entire list, but this shot was so simplistic compared to the rest, but the idea was great. Just a cool shot of him walking through bars, and then the gun gets kinda stuck. Great stuff, this is why Cameron is the king of the world. (Notice how he has two films in the top ten, and another two as honrable mentions).
Okay, I know that this probably shouldn't be as high on the list since it's the most recent film on here, but the effects used in this scene are probably the best ever. All of the animated Orks and Urukai soldiers, the wall scaling, the tree ents demolishing Sauromon's pad... these shots leave you breathless.
This film series has many great shots and scnes, but I figured that the first spce battle scene at the Death Star was the one to recognize. I'm not talking about the new Special Edition version either, because they aren't as good. The effects in the film work best before they were tampered with. (While were at it, why don't we fuck with every effects masterpiece... let's go and animate E.T.) The original, it was groundbreaking and looked great, especially considering the budget and when it was made.
One of the most famous scenes in modern film history, and rightfully so. Think back to the first time you saw the water ipples in the cup, the claw on the fence, and then the roaring head poking up over the trees. This is without a doubt the best blend of digital and animatronics. Today, they just do it completely digital, but the interactions between the real characters can suffer. In this, when the head comes through the glass roof of the car, and it's the only thing between the gaping mouth of the Rex and the two kids, that couldn't have been done better.
This scene showcase everything that made the film famous. The Bullet dodging, the mix of CGI enhanced and wire fighting, and the digitally enhanced Agent Smith when he goes off on Neo. This would be the scene in the subway, when Smith catches up with Neo and he doesn't run, but fight back for the first time. I'll tell you what though, the next two are gonna top everything on here, I can gaurantee you that.
Of all the Harryhausen films (he's the effects god that did this, Clash of the Titans and a whole slew of Sinbad films) this one is my favorite. This scene in particualr is the greatest use of a special effect prior to Star Wars and the films of the mid to late seventies. In fact, there have been plenty of modern films that use skeletal warriors, and none of 'em can touch this one. Harryhauen spent 4 months to create this scene (which is only about three minutes long) and it shows when you see it. Forget The Mummy, these skeletons are the best ever put on film.
I love it when a film will create something completely original. The water effect used here has been used plenty of times, from T2 to Stargate. This scene though, was the first, and it still looks great today. The other effects with the 'creatures' are awesome, but it was this scene that really pushed the envelope in the digital effects world. A great movie, too, and a perfect example of how to make a film that uses lots of effects the right way, without letting the effects take over the story.
Blade Runner is, to me, one of the most influential films ever made, and it's all the visual style. The scene here is when Ford's character is driving/flying through the city and then comes to the Tyrell building. This shot is very famous, just because it looks so damn good, and the styles of the story, the effects, the architectural design of the buildings, everything all seem to come together so much more beautifully than any other film I've ever seen. This shot rivals some in recent digital-effects films, but kicks the hell out of 'em and without the use of computer technology. Old fashioned techniques and they can create a more futuristic world than others that completely ripped it off (Fifth Element and Judge Dredd just to name a few). This shot is a perfect example of why this film is so ripped off, because others want to do something that looks this cool.
This scene is when Lopez, (I refuse to refer to her as J-Lo), first enters the bizarre and diturbing mind of Carl (D'Onofrio). Here we are treated to a grand staircase that looks like an Escher drawing of Hell, and a weird room with a fucked up horse thing in it. When we finally get to see his mind's version of himself, it's like nothing ever seen before. I loved this movie, and I'm glad that some of the critics stood up for it. No, the story isn't all that original in parts, but it's visually stunning, and that's enough in this case. There are some great scenes towards the end, but it's this first time we see Carl's dark world that we fully understand what this film has in store for us.
Page design by GARTH-ART.
Salty Cracker Pictures c. 2002. All rights reserved.
Contact The Salty Cracker Team