Podcast Episode 24 - Ray Harryhausen

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Albatross Applesauce: A Film Blog and Podcast

TV & Film


Oh, you all are in for a treat.  Here's a name some of you may not know: Ray Harryhausen.  He did come into the public consciousness last month when, sadly he passed away at the age of 92.  Who was this man?  Well, he is probably the greatest, most prolific and influential special effects man in the history of the movies.The man himself, with some of his creations.Perhaps you remember seeing images he helped create.  A giant octopus wrapping it's tentacles around the San Francisco Bay Bridge.  A massive cyclops swiping at tiny humans at it's feet.  Or maybe the archetypal Harryhausen creation of a living skeleton clutching a sword and slashing at the human hero.And slash they do.For this Special Podcast, Phil and Andrew revisit four classic Ray Harryhausen films: It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and his ultimate film Clash of the Titans (1981).You can download the podcast here by right-clicking on that link and choosing "save as", or you can use the convenient player located below:Ray Harryhausen was a huge influence on nearly all filmmakers working today who feature fantastic special effects.  You know the names, Spielberg, Lucas, Cameron...Ray Harryhausen lovingly labored over his stop motion creature effects for hours upon hours, creating fluid movements and a genuinely believable physical presence on film.  Phil and Andrew both lament the unconvincing CGI effects that are all over most contemporary films.  Join them as they revisit these four extremely fun and magical films that celebrate the genius that was Ray Harryhausen.Destroying great landmarks with terrifying creatures has been a longstanding cinematic tradition.