Clash of the Titans was the first film I had the pleasure of seeing in the movie theater. To my seven year old eyes it was simply amazing, only looking away from the screen when Medusa appeared, for fear I would turn to stone. The creature work of Ray Harryhausen was groundbreaking, and all too real to me. I truly believed that Bubo, the golden owl, existed somewhere in the world, and it made me smile. I was shaking when the Kraken was released, terrified for the citizens of Argos. I was sucked into his world for one hundred and eighteen minutes, and never wanted to leave. This movie is what put me on the path to where I am today, and started my love affair with all things fantasy. Titans was, and still is, a testament to the creativity, ingenuity, and brilliance of a small boy from California with big dreams. Ray Harryhausen saw King Kong for the first time in 1933, and was so inspired by the cutting edge stop-motion work of pioneer Willis OBrien, that he instantly knew what his lifes path would be. Ray, at a very early age, began making short films using these same techniques, and didn't stop until he was in his eighties. Throughout his life he had many box office hits including Jason and the Argonauts, Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and its sequels, and of course Clash of the Titans. Over many decades his films inspired other greats, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Tim Burton, Nick Park, and Henry Selick. At the Academy Awards in 1992, Tom Hanks said, Lots of people say Citizen Kane or Casablanca, but I say Jason and the Argonauts is the best film ever made. Sadly, Ray Harryhausen passed away on Tuesday, May the 7th, 2012, but his films, and his inspiration will always live on. To remember the man, and his legacy, here are six really cool things you may not have known about Ray Harryhausen.
6. He Made His First Film At Only 15 Years Old
Yep. You read that right. Two years after seeing King Kong, and teaching himself some of the techniques used in that film, he began work on his first film. Created in his parents garage, and brought to life in their garden, Cavebear was a 16mm black and white short film, in which a giant cavebear attacks his dog, Kong. At the age of fifteen! Let that sink in for a moment. Now, I don't know about you, but at fifteen years old all I cared about was girls, candy, video games, and ditching class to hang out with my friends. Ray Harryhausen made a film. After teaching himself how to do it. That's kind of amazing. It just goes to show the amount of imagination, determination, and ingenuity Ray Harryhausen possessed, even at such an early age, that would never leave him. Here are some of his early, yet already kind of amazing works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hxAuoABYKHw