Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011)

(On Cable TV, November 2020) Usually, I prefer written biographies than the bite-sized filmed ones, but there’s something so innately cinematic about Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animation that it would be impossible to do justice to his work without showing it on-screen. Clearly an authorized biography completed by friends of his, Special Effects Titan digs deep in interviews, archival footage and new-for-this-documentary material to pay homage to his work, from his early inspirations to the CGI legacy he has left. Most (if not all) of his films are mentioned, commented and shown. Heavy hitters of spectacle-driven cinema such as Spielberg, Jackson, del Toro, Cameron and Lasseter show up to pay tribute, and the film clearly highlights the friendship between Harryhausen and writer Ray Bradbury. The stop-motion work is described and commented upon, with frequent praise being that his stop-motion puppets had acting character of their own. At 95 minutes, Special Effects Titan is a quick, clean summary of Harryhausen’s life and work, well worth a look for anyone even slightly interested by his legacy.