Films/DVD Asylum

Top 10 F/X Scenes in Movie History.

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From Popular Mechanics Magazine, Jan 2007 issue:
1- Star Wars (1977);
2- Tron (1982);
3- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991);
4- Cliffhanger (1993);
5- Jurassic Park (1993);
6- Forrest Gump (1994);
7- The Perfect Storm (2000);
8- Lord of the Rings (2001);
9-The Polar Express (2004);
10- The Day After Tommorrow (2004).
~AH

Follow Ups:

2001 and Tenn Commandments NT - DavidLD 04:36:26 03/13/07 (1)
....
- Isn't that the version of TC with Zeke bringin' 2 pow'ful jugs of white lightnin' down from a secret Appalachian still? - Audiophilander 07:25:53 03/13/07 (0)
  ;^) - Sorry, couldn't resist!
anything with Melanie Griffiths' LIPS in it. nt - dave c 00:30:14 03/13/07 (4)
bleep.
- LOL! (nt) - Audiophilander 07:01:20 03/13/07 (3)
  8^D
  - Re: LOL! (nt) - jimmycj 07:45:14 03/13/07 (2)
    Those lips were pretty hot in Something Wild with Ray Liotta
    - "Those lips were pretty hot in Something Wild with Ray Liotta" - No wonder Collagen implants are so expensive, ... - Audiophilander 11:06:56 03/13/07 (1)
      ...they come with heating elements! ;^)
      - they can cum with a lot of things, but... - dave c 15:05:36 03/13/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: "Those lips were pretty hot in Something Wild with Ray Liotta" - No wonder Collagen implants are so expensive, ... posted by Audiophilander on March 13, 2007 at 11:06:56:
        
        ... they still look scary to me.
*SIGH* - So wrong, ...just soooo WRONG. - Audiophilander 00:25:25 03/13/07 (0)
This is why I hate lists, it's not just that they're highly subjective, which is a given, but it's that so often they're obviously skewed off the mark in order to create controversy or ignore better suited films by misinterpreting their own criterion.
First of all, if one is talking "Movie History" then it should include all periods of film history since film started and all nationalities, not just FX since 1970, unless they set that as firm rule.
My list would include both current and past ground breaking special effects, and those not necessarily groundbreaking where the FX employed are used extremely well. Yes, LoTR and Jurassic Park would fit and possibly Star Wars, even though the second of the series had more impressive FX due to budget given the time of release, but my list might've included (as alternates):
Metropolis (1927) - Maria transformation & rising, Moloch, etc.
Faust (1926) - various transformations & use of miniatures
The Abyss (1989) - shape shifting seawater
King Kong (1933) - armatured models of Kong & dinosaurs
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) - CGI with anatomical realism
Wizard of Oz (1939) - tornado and various process shots
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - Skeletons, harpies, hydra, etc.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - Saucer landing; Gort laser
Forbidden Planet (1956) - animated ID & ID footsteps; subterranean FX
AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001) - robot/human FX; future world
The Thing (1982) - Best realization of an alien capable of adaptation
Heck, even the X-Men and Spiderman films have FX worthy of consideration.
I would agree with the listing of:
Perfect Storm
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
...because they do stand out in their respective years, but not Forrest Gump, The Day After Tomorrow, Cliffhanger, The Polar Express or Tron. Some are great films, but none are especially noteworthy FX films except perhaps Tron and Polar Express and the former was rapidly dated while the latter was just creepy in it's misguided attempt at looking more real than real.
Of course everyone's mileage varies. C'est la Vie.
AuPh
Wizard of Oz... - HOK 21:17:49 03/12/07 (0)
Esp. the wicked witch feet thing. Scared the hell out of me as a kid.
Ten Commandments - Tom Brennan 19:58:03 03/12/07 (0)
Had great stuff; parting the waters, raising that obelisk.
Ever notice how... - DWPC 16:40:22 03/12/07 (2)
CGI with live action that looks great at the theater often stands out as pasted-in when viewed on the TV at home?
- no - Analog Scott 22:21:47 03/13/07 (1)
  I have always found problems easier to see on film than on TV
  - Thats odd then - DWPC 23:22:27 03/15/07 (0)
    I can often see a really distinct boundary between the live action and CGI portions of the picture when viewed on a tv.
Computer fx vastly are inferior. - tinear 15:05:35 03/12/07 (1)
I can't be troubled to count how many superior scenes are in 2001, suffice it to say...many.
Forbidden Planet also had many superb examples.
Invisible Man, with Claude Rains.
Nosferatu.
New fx just doesn't cut it.
- Not sure what it is you are seeing - Analog Scott 21:58:24 03/13/07 (0)
  I agree about 2001 and think that is one of the few movies where the effects don't look dated. But Forbidden Planet? Hey, I love the movie but really, the effects don't stand up at all. As for today's digital effects, many are quite bad but some are superb. Jurrasic Park, c'mon. There were one or two dinos that weren't up to snuff but the T rex and the raptors were outstanding. As much as I hate to admit it the digital makeup in the last Pirates movie was phenomenal.
Re: Top 10 F/X Scenes in Movie History. - mishmashmusic 13:07:45 03/12/07 (3)
I think these are more memorable and groundbreaking than many on that list:
Metropolis
King Kong (original)
2001
Close Encounters
And just about anything involving Ray Harryhausen, come to think of it.
- Re: Top 10 F/X Scenes in Movie History. - rico 14:12:34 03/12/07 (2)
  I agree. And don't forget Woody Allen's "Zelig".
  - Re: Top 10 F/X Scenes in Movie History. - Jimmy NYC 18:32:41 03/12/07 (1)
    Remind me Rico - I did see Zelig and I can't recall any F/X. I know I'm senile.
    OK - What about "Werewolf of London"? .... "The Thing"
    CGI is so NOT fun! I alwaways mutter "cartoon".
    - and ... - Jimmy NYC 18:34:49 03/12/07 (0)
      "War of the Worlds" (Tom-less)

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