Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011)

This is the definitive documentary about Ray Harryhausen. Aside from interviews with the great man himself, shot over five years, there are also interviews and tributes from Vanessa ... See full summary »

Director:

Gilles Penso

Writer:

Gilles Penso

Stars:

Ray Harryhausen, Peter Jackson, James Cameron

Cast

Credited cast:
Ray Harryhausen	...	Himself
Peter Jackson	...	Himself
James Cameron	...	Himself
John Landis	...	Himself
Tim Burton	...	Himself
Terry Gilliam	...	Himself
Steven Spielberg	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Colin Arthur	...	Himself
Martine Beswick	...	Herself
Ray Bradbury	...	Himself
Greg Broadmore	...	Himself
Randall William Cook	...	Himself
Tony Dalton	...	Himself
Joe Dante	...	Himself
Guillermo del Toro	...	Himself

Storyline

This is the definitive documentary about Ray Harryhausen. Aside from interviews with the great man himself, shot over five years, there are also interviews and tributes from Vanessa Harryhausen, Tony Dalton, Randy Cook, Peter Jackson, Nick Park, Phil Tippet, Peter Lord, Terry Gilliam, Dennis Muren, Rick Baker, John Landis, Ken Ralston, Guillermo Del Toro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and many more. For the first time Ray and the Foundation have provided unprecedented access to film all aspects of the collection including models, artwork and miniatures as well as Ray's private study, where he designed most of his creations, and his workshop where he built them. In addition the documentary will use unseen footage of tests and experiments found during the clearance of the LA garage. Never before has so much visual material been used in any previous documentary about Ray. This definitive production will not only display a huge part of the unique ...

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Plot Keywords:

mythology | flying saucer | arabian nights | octopus | argonaut | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 2012 (UK)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frenetic Arts, Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Quotes

Caroline Munro: Working with Ray Harryhausen was the most amazing experience for me.

User Reviews

After-images and echoes...

It hit me the other night, out of the blue- a profound feeling of Loss. I was watching something on the SyFy Channel (a show of some kind about Life After Death or somesuch nonsense) and there was Forrest J. Ackerman, the editor of the FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND that I grew up with, and he made a pun (one of the things that we as readers had come to expect from him) and seeing him again brought tears to my eyes. We'll never smile and groan again the way we did when we read FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND; and we'll never again marvel at Ray Bradbury's way with words, his seemingly effortless ability to weave Life into Stories that resonated each with their own particular Truths; nor will we ever again see Ray Harryhausen breathe Life into his little giant creatures. I came across this documentary by chance, just one day after my niece told me that Harryhausen was gone, and again that feeling of profound Loss overwhelmed me. To me, growing up where and when I did, the three men I eulogize here, Forrest J. Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, and Ray Harryhausen, were all part of the Magic that kept me going when things got going bad- which they often did: I remember my mother singing me and my brother and sister to sleep on nights when my father's drunken rage shook the universe; it's a debt that could never be repaid. All of these people had one thing in common: they ALL talked of LOVE and its profound effect on them. Now, all that's left are after-images and the echoes of a soft, loving voice I'll never hear again. Damn, what a day.