"An elegant weapon for a more civilized age"

     Reading this far it is not hard to see my love for film.  I wish it was easier to find people to make projects and everyone have an understanding and respect for one another's work.  Unfortunately in today's times it seems that more than ever ideas are running out.  People don't see or feel the need to really branch out of their comfort zone nor do they want to play second fiddle to another "director" on a project.  Imagine though, how cool it would have been to be part of something magical and inspirational.  Something that would have won over the hearts, minds, and imaginations of millions with you being at the forefront of a revolution.  The problem is that if you are going to make an omelet, you're gonna crack a few eggs.
      Ray Harryhausen was a pioneer in special effects, most notably stop motion animation.  Stop motion animation is the same concept as a cartoon except instead of thousands of picture being played in a sequence from drawings it is played by a model that has articulation points.  Harryhausen was considered a master of his craft and he did all of it in his house.  Stop motion is a painstakingly tedious process and Ray Harryhausen was doing it all without the help of a computer.  Everything was done in camera and if it made a mistake he wouldn't be able to see where he messed up.  Of course all changed with Star Wars in 1977.
     Ray Harryhausen kinda felt how cinema and technology were starting to change and was against.  His films along with a lot of films released during the golden era of Hollywood were simple stories about a hero who defeated the villain and got the girl in the end.  Harryhausen didn't like how the anti-hero was starting to be the main focus along with how violence in movies were starting to go beyond what was considered graphic for the time period.  Apparently Harryhausen and his wife never sat through Silence of the Lambs because of the material and the irony is that he was given a life time achievement award the same year Silence of the Lambs won best picture.
     I assume what he was disappointed with was that the magic of storytelling was becoming more grown up and the disbelief was lost.  Sure special effects help with making the impossible a reality, but now people have become immune to it.  Instead of being wowed about how did they do that it's now more of watching a giant commercial or video game on screen.

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