Description
Tells the very personal story of the man who changed the face of modern cinema
Special-effects superstar Ray Harryhausen elevated stop-motion animation to an art during the 1950s to 1980s. With material drawn from his incredible archive, his daughter, Vanessa, selects 100 creatures and objects, in chronological order, that meant the most to her as she watched her father make world-famous films that changed the course of cinema.
Ray Harryhausen's work included the Sinbad films of the 50s and 70s, One Million Years B.C. and Mighty Joe Young, as well as a wider portfolio including children's fairy tales and commercials. He inspired a generation of film-makers such as Peter Jackson, Aardman Animation, Tim Burton, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and his influence on blockbuster cinema can be felt to this day. Some of the objects featured in the book, such as Talos from Jason and the Argonauts, are world famous, while others are less well known but hold special personal significance to Vanessa. Many newly restored works that have never previously been seen are included.
This book is published in collaboration with the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation and it will receive a great deal of international publicity. It celebrates the legacy of a filmmaker who changed the face of modern cinema and it is certain to delight and fascinate those who appreciate film, art, science fiction and fantasy.
Shortlisted for Saltire Society Scotland's National Book Awards, First Book Award 2021. Scotland's National Book Awards recognise work across Scotland's literary and publishing community. [The Saltire Society] is delighted to highlight Scotland's outstanding talent, raise the profile of writers and introduce audiences to exceptional new works.
About the Author
Vanessa Harryhausen is the daughter of special effects superstar Ray Harryhausen and a trustee of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation. She grew up around her father's films and creations, and spent time on many of the film sets for which he created special effects.
Reviews
"Harryhausen brought the stories of antiquity kicking and screaming into the film age - or rather roaring, like the cyclops in the 1958 film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and hissing like Medusa in Clash of the Titans (1981)... There is no film, however, quite like his 1963 masterpiece Jason and the Argonauts... This is not just great special effects. This is art." -- The Guardian
"Few artists of the 20th century can compete with Harryhausen's illusive brilliance or reach." -- The Spectator
"A pioneering, brilliant special effects film-maker whose credits include movie masterpieces." -- BBC News
"Ray Harryhausen was a titan of cinema.. After decades, this is our first glimpse of many of Ray's movie models painstakingly restored to their former glorious and gruesome selves. So this preview of extraordinary objects, literally on legendary status, charts the rise of Ray Harryhausen the student, son and friend, visionary, director and inventor. A true master of his craft." -- BBC Arts
"The biggest collection of his work ever" -- The Times
"The world's biggest ever celebration of Hollywood special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen" -- The Scotsman
"The largest and most comprehensive presentation of his work to date" -- Metro
"Ray Harryhausen's special effects... are so seminal that, though his early films were made almost 60 years ago, they still hold up today. Harryhausen influenced countless artists after him and took special effects to a new level. His unique vision and memorable creations make the movies he worked on stand out - you always know when you're watching a movie with a Harryhausen stamp on it". -- SciFi Now
Awards
Winner of Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards 2020 (United States). Short-listed for Saltire Society Scotland's National Book Awards, First Book Award 2021 2021 (UK).
Book Information
ISBN 9781911054344
Author Vanessa Harryhausen
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint National Galleries of Scotland
Publisher National Galleries of Scotland
Weight(grams) 1108g
