| Author | Message | ||
     Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
A few years ago, the National Media Museum in Bradford hosted an exhibition of Ray Harryhausen's wonderful artwork - drawings, models, etc. He also did a great interview there and a book signing. I loved it! I even wrote a piece about it for Pantechnicon (my first published genre non-fiction). Anyway, it seems he's now donating his collection to the National Media Museum - see here: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/General/MuseumNews.asp?NewsID=245 Brilliant! Thanks Mr H, you're amazing! Also, for anyone in the London area, his artwork is currently on exhibition here: http://www.londonfilmmuseum.com/ray-harryhausen.htm I'd advise anyone to go and see it. The man's a genius, and we owe him a hell of a lot as far as genre film special effects are concerned. Long live PROPER special effects. Death to CGI! | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.166.117.210 |
Will the National Media Museum be hosting another exhibition, then? I'd love to see it. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
I assume so, Gary, once the one in London is finished and the collection goes to Bradford. I guess what happens is that they then keep it in their archive, exhibit it themselves at times, and also send it out to other museums (like the current London one) as and when. It probably won't be on permanent display at Bradford - they rotate exhibits as they don't have room to show everything they have - but I'm sure they'll display it again for a time once it comes back from London. The other thing is, if they're keeping it in their archive, I think you can book to see things which are in the archive at certain times. For example, they also have a collection of Hammer Horror special effects and make up (Roy Ashton? I think that's the name of the make up/effects guy whose collection they have). But these aren't on permanent display as they don't have room (also, some of the things need to be kept in a controlled atmosphere anyway). So you ring them up and ask to see them if you want to. Anyway, sorry, I'm rambling on - hope I'm making sense. I think I'm a bit excited about this!  | ||
| John (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
Must go and see this. As far as I'm concerned, his work still beats most modern FX hands-down. The Talos sequence in Jason and the Argonauts and Medusa in Clash of the Titans are still two of my top cinema moments of all time. I'm still gutted that he never got the opportunity to do his proposed version of The War of the Worlds as per Wells' book - i.e. tripods and Victorian setting. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
It's well worth seeing John. I'll definitely be going to see it again when it comes back to Bradford. As a slight aside, here's a funny story about when I went to the book signing Harryhausen did at the museum. I was standing in the queue chatting to the young fella in front of me. He wanted to show me what he was going to get signed .. and promptly pulled a life-sized human skull from his bag! He did say that he thought it was a replica, not a real one. I think Ray Harryhausen was as taken aback as I was when he produced it for him to sign too. He looked a little shocked, then declined as politely as he could saying he hadn't made it, so he couldn't sign it. I think that's the strangest thing that's ever happened to me in an autograph queue. Although I did find myself standing next to a sea devil at the last one, but you expect that kind of thing at a Doctor Who convention.  | ||
| John (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
Ha. He only thought it was a replica? I guess he didn't fancy opening it up to see for sure... :-S Mind you, you can always tell a Harryhausen skull. They have that brow. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
Yes, I must admit I didn't think to ask the guy where he'd obtained the skull from. Our conversation just kind of stopped at that point!  | ||
| Seanmcd (Seanmcd) Username: Seanmcd Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 86.154.130.224 |
'Jason and the Argonauts' and 'The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad' were, if i can recall correctly, the first fantasy movies i had ever seen. 'Talos' blew my mind as a wide eyed 4 or 5 year old watching on TV. CGI? This was real art! | ||
| Thomasb (Thomasb) Username: Thomasb Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 69.236.170.165 |
I love the Talus sequence is a great sequence. "Mysterious Island" is also a favorite Harryhausen movie of mine. |