RAY HARRYHAUSEN passed away today....
.......I cannot think of another who influenced me more than Ray Harryhausen.....
The name alone - "HARRYHAUSEN" - is a genre in and of itself, which when spoken, ilicits immediate smiles with most Imagination enthusiasts.
My earliest geeky memories are catching "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" on tv at age 4, my brain forever changed... The Skeleton Battle in "Jason and the Argonauts" at age 5... "Clash of the Titans" at age 6.... "Sinbad", "Mighty Joe Young", One Millions Years B.C.", "It Came From Beneath The Sea" and everything before and in between throughout my Childhood. He introduced me to a world of vast Imagination just as I was developing Imagination itself!
Monsters, Mythology, Swords, Sorcery, Heroes' Quests, Titans, Demons, Dinosaurs, oh my!!
Ray Harryhausen influenced and inspired me like no other. I would not be where I am and who I today, if not for him. I had the delightful honor to meet Mr. Harryhausen on two occasions, which were themselves just as mesmerizing experiences as seeing his films for the first time. One of my most cherished possessions is a signed print of the Ymir, which hangs framed in my home.
Ray Harryhausen positively impacted generations and his passing is felt around the world. But his work and films will continue on, as the gifts they are.
Rest in Peace, Harryhausen. Thank you for showing me the path.
RAY HARRYHAUSEN
1920-2013
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5 comments:
thank you so much for that tribute. that guy was amazing!
I get the feeling that not a lot of "regular" people get how important Ray is to movies or media in general. Most of my friends didn't really know who he was, which sincerely irks me. Upon hearing he died yesterday I let a few silent tears fall, both out of sadness and happiness. I'm so sad to see him go but soooo happy for what he gave us.
Sad but, so cool! Medusa's severed head haunted me in my nightmares as a child and now...she will haunt me again this evening! Burned. Into. My. Skull.
This was really sad news !!! My fave Harryhausen creature is the Cyclops from The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad !!
Medusa freaked me out more than any other creature from my youth. A true master and only Stan Winston can be talked about in the same breath IMO.
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