Link (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57583275/ray-harryhausen-special-effects-pioneer-dies-at-92/)

Ray Harryhausen, a master of movie special effects whose work was beloved by fantasy film lovers and influenced industry heavyweights such as "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, has died. He was 92.

Biographer and longtime friend Tony Dalton confirmed that Harryhausen died Tuesday at London's Hammersmith Hospital.

Dalton said it was too soon to tell the exact cause of death, but described Harryhausen's passing as "very gentle and very quiet."

His family released the following statement: "Ray's influence on today's film makers was enormous, with luminaries; Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, John Landis and the U.K.'s own Nick Park have cited Harryhausen as being the man whose work inspired their own creations."

Harryhausen's films included "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms," "Valley of the Gwangi," "Mighty Joe Young" and "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad."

Though his name was little-known by the general public, many directors borrowed Harryhausen's special effects techniques.

Lucas once said that no other fantasy films had "the same kind of awe" as Harryhausen's movies.

Harryhausen got interested in stop-motion animation after watching the effects in the 1933 "King Kong" film.

He also did the special effects for Jason and the Argonauts. The fight scene with the skeletons remains one of the most iconic uses of stop-motion effects in the history of motion pictures, not to mention one of the most iconic fight scenes in the history of motion pictures.

:rip: Ray Harryhausen. I have most of your films on DVD. I'll be watching one of them tonight in tribute to you.

:rip: Ray Harryhausen. I have so much respect for special effects people who worked in the days before computers and CGI. They had to be so creative, inventive, and innovative. they were true artists of their craft.

Sony Movie Channel Airing Ray Harryhausen Marathon
by Gregory Burkart
Wednesday, May 8, 2013


In tribute to the legacy of special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, who passed away yesterday at 92, Sony Movie Channel has updated its programming to include a Harryhausen-themed TV marathon this Saturday, May 11.

This new lineup begins with the documentary Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan at 12:45 PM ET.

The creators of the documentary, which took ten years to complete and had its US premiere on SMC last month, worked closely with the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation to cover the full history of Ray's career, from his early days in Hollywood to the development of his “Dynamation” technique and concluding with his 90th birthday celebration.





The documentary is followed by three of the beloved Sinbad films which showcase Harryhausen's amazing work:

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad at 2:30 PM
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad at 4:10 PM
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger at 6:10 PM (all times Eastern)





Sony Movie Channel's website is also hosting an interactive web experience showcasing Harryhausen’s creations and techniques, and other original web content.

SMC subscribers can watch the documentary online through May 31st at the same site.

http://www.sonymoviechannel.com/ray-harryhausen
http://www.fearnet.com/news/news-article/sony-movie-channel-airing-ray-harryhausen-marathon