With this editorial, I wanted to focus on a particular aspects of our beloved genre that has always appealed to me: special effects. I present to you eight films brimming with FX that blew my mind growing up. Some of these are not necessarily the best, these are films that made a connection with me. And keep in mind this is contained to films that fall within the horror genre (or “fringe” horror), so you’re not going to find stuff like The Abyss or Terminator 2: Judgement Day…films that would have undoubtedly fallen onto this list if I widened the genre canvas.
Feel free to use our comment board below to weigh in with your own own picks!
8 Great Moments in Special FX
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1963
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS: My introduction to the wonderful stop-motion artistry of Ray Harryhausen.
The scene that did it for me? The late FX wizard spent a reported four months or more bringing an army of skeletons to life for a battle scene that knocked me out. Not only did this merging of animation and live-action amaze me, I know for certain it planted the seed for my fascination with the macabre (Moving skeletons? How cool is that?!). This film gave me a new appreciation for animation and the patience that comes with it.
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1982
JOHN CARPENTER'S THE THING: I had seen my fair share of creature-filled FX films, but none compared to this. They didn't hold a candle to the sometimes putrid, mostly nightmarish, mesmerizing power of Rob Bottin's alchemy. These creations and transformations...they had texture and character in their glistening, prickly, lethal designs.
The scene that did it for me? The attack on the dog kennel. Everything after this is brilliant, too, but this sequence truly showed off the mad genius that is Bottin and Carpenter. We saw the biology of "the thing" at work with its tentacles and vaginal orifice that spit a nasty fluid all over the canines trying to escape. And, my god, did it look real - especially when it reacted to taking a bullet hit. This is incredible work that still stands the test of time.
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1983
MICHAEL JACKSON'S THRILLER: Way too young to have seen this music video (I was 6), John Landis' collaboration with Jackson and FX artist Rick Baker not only introduced me to zombies but showed me, for the first time, that man could turn into beast.
The scene that did it for me? When Jackson transforms into a were-creature (Wolf? Cat...thing?)! At such a young age, I had only seen creatures or transformations in Saturday morning cartoons. My brain couldn't process Jackson's painful metamorphosis. In fact, I think I had to ask, "Is he a good guy?" but at that point...not even my parents could give me a correct answer.
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1984
GREMLINS: By '84, I was a monster kid. I loved all things weird and gross and creepy. Joe Dante's film, of course, found its way into my heart right away and that was largely due to Chris Walas' mischievous creatures. Gizmo, Stripe and the large number of "gremlins" that populated the screen...I wanted them all and believed they had come to life.
The scene that did it for me? Billy Peltzer's mother is under attack. As she creeps into the kitchen, we see a gremlin in the foreground munching away on a Christmas cookie. A sound catches his attention and he stops, one ear slightly perks up, attentive, and when he thinks all is safe, he keeps munching away. This little nuance solidified for me at a young age that puppets can have a lot more personality than what I was accustomed to. And while we saw a lot of character interjected into the gremlins, the "cookie-munching" imp and his big ol' ear always makes me smile.
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1986
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: An odd choice, I know. And in spite of my feelings for the film (they're not positive), I'll never forget the pure awe I felt seeing Audrey II come to life.
The scene that did it for me? Hard to pinpoint because I pretty much had my jaw on the floor every time Audrey II was on screen. I'll say it was the "Feed Me, Seymour" tune. They got so much expression out of that damn crooning plant. It pouted, it grinned and it pleaded. And nothing about it sat still. Everything moved from leaves to tentacles to tongue. I loved the color scheme, too.
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1986
ALIENS: Dude. Duuuuude. Talk about a movie that impacted my formative years as a genre fan. This was jam-packed full of "awesome" and Stan Winston had a lot to do with it. The Xenomorph design had become a lot more sinister and hypnotic to look at. And those facehuggers! Pesky little buggers.
The scene that did it for me? The Alien Queen. So big. So powerful. Absolutely terrifying. The first FX article I ever read was about her creation.
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1992
BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA: There are myriad reasons I love this movie. Greg Cannom's special FX is one of them. At the time this movie hit, I was considering going to school for makeup FX myself so this movie just spoke to me. It featured a unique canvas of creatures like the Dracula wolf and bat. It also laid the groundwork for future vampire makeup designs that we would see in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The scene that did it for me? Dracula wolf getting it on with Ms. Lucy. It's a simple man-in-suit with a facial appliance, but I loved the expression that came through the piece.
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1993
JURASSIC PARK: Likely the last film that moved me to tears because of its display of Stan Winston and ILM FX. I'm being serious. Talk about the transformative power of cinema. I'll never forget how moved I was as a teen witnessing dinosaurs come to life like I had never seen before. It was amazing and hard to replicate, in spite of what they tried to do in the sequels.
The scene that did it for me? When Alan, Ellie and Ian are introduced to Jurassic Park's inhabitants for the first time, it is without a doubt, incredible. But for me, the moment that made me say, "Holy crap, they really pulled this off" was Nedry's encounter with the dilophosaurus, a seamless blend of practical FX and CGI. Again, it comes down to expression for me and this dinosaur felt so natural and curious and reactive to Nedry's bumbling. Combined with the sound design, I was sold. This thing was real to me.
