Top "Revolutionary" Special FX Movies Ever!

Top "Revolutionary" special effects movies ever ... according to who? Well, according to ABC News, and though they claim "Top Ten," they actually list 11 films, with that being the original "King Kong" film of 1933 -- the special effects employed in making the first Kong movie were pretty amazing, given where the state of filmmaking was at that time. This is an interesting list because there are a few films that we're surprised are not on the list. Where's "2001: A Space Odyssey"? Stanley Kubrick's "2001" used some impressive visual effects to set the standard for a new sci-fi space realism, one that would be copied by Star Wars and countless other films since then. The problem might be that "special effects" may be defined slightly differently from person to person. Is animation a "special effect"? The entry of the CG film "Toy Story" is understandable; the entire film is one giant special effect -- but it's an animated feature and one can argue that animation is a special effect in and of itself. It's been around for a long, long time. What makes a film"revolutionary" in its use of effects, we presume, is that the movie broke new ground in the original use and introduction of a technique or technology to create visual sequences that would be difficult or impossible to realize with normal live-action or animated filmmaking. Hence "Toy Story" was the first major feature animated film to be wholly computer generated. The technology allowed for a new visual aesthetic and video-realism for animation. By the way, the Number 1 film? "The Matrix." Can't really argue with that?

Essential Linkage
The Top Ten Revolutionary Effects Movies of All Times
King Kong (1933) [Filmsite.org]
The Matrix Trilogy - Official Warner Bros. Movie Website
King Kong 92005) Official Movie Website

Posted by icorsa at December 15, 2005 12:05 AM