10 Vintage Film Special Effects That Make A Mockery Of CGI

3. The Werewolf Transformation Scene - An American Werewolf In London (1981)

John Landis€™ landmark horror film is probably the best Werewolf flick since Lon Chaney Jr originally transformed under the full moon. The real star of the film, however, is the Oscar-winning transformation effects by Rick Baker, which essentially changed the face of horror makeup in the 1980s. The different robotic body parts and prosthetics used during the film's extended werewolf transformation scenes and on a character as he returns as a bloody, mangled ghost impressed the seemingly anti-horror folks at the Academy Awards so much that the film won the Outstanding Achievement in Makeup in the category's inaugural year. Now compare the effects of this film to a film like Wes Craven€™s 2005 CGI-heavy werewolf flick Cursed and you€™ll instantly appreciate the ingenuity of films such as Werewolf in London.