Ray Harryhausen RIP

Ray Harryhausen, cel mai mare vrajitor de efecte speciale din istoria cinematografului, s-a dus si el pe 7 mai la Londra. Avea 92 de ani.
Intrebat care e creatura sa favourita, Harryhausen a zis: "It would be Medusa. But don't tell the others."

Cu efectele din The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958) si Jason and the Argonauts (1963) a inaugurat o noua era in efecte speciale, urmatorul pas dupa cea a lui Willie O'Brien (King Kong-1933, filmul care l-a inspirat pe RH, Mighy Joe Young-1949, filmul la care a si lucrat). In tehnica de animatie stop-motion in care a creat sistemul DYNAMATION. Prieten bun cu Ray Bradbury si membru al comunitatii Sf din LA, Harryhausen a lucrat pentru George Pal, si a creat creaturi din plastilina fantastice, de la The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), la Clash of the Titans (1981). Un vizionar si un pioner de tipul lui Geoges Melies, Harryhausen a fost la rindul sau mentorul lui Stan Winston, care adus efectele in epoca mecanizata, disparut si el recent. Anul trecut a murit si Carlo Rambaldi, cel care l-a facut pe King Kong versiunea 1976. Pre CGI acesti adevarati vrajitori sunt cei care ne-au incintat copilaria, si Harryhausen are ca uber fani pe Steven Spielberg, John Landis (care i-a oferit cameouri lui Ray in multe filme), Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton si Stephen King. Autobiografia sa, An Animated Life, a aparut in in 2004. In 2012 a aparut documentarul Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan.
necrolog in The Guardian aici si aici / tribut video de la sonymoviechannel

Hollywoodul il omagiaza in EW aici

“I lost a member of my family today. A man who was as present in my childhood as any of my relatives. No one will ever compare to Ray Harryhausen. He was a true pioneer, a man who took the mantle of stop-motion and elevated it to an art form. Like all great monster makers, he worked almost single-handed. He was designer, technician, sculptor, painter and cinematographer all at once. To my generation, and to every generation of monster lovers to come, he will stand above all. Forever. His monsters made millions of lonely children smile and hope for a better world- a world populated by Cyclops and griffons and the children of the Hydra. His knowledge, faith and dedication shaped generation after generation of filmmakers. I feel privileged to have met him and to be able to thank him personally for the incalculable amount of love and joy he brought into the world.”
Guillermo del Toro