In this documentary, the great Ray Harryhausen looks back upon his career and talks about his stellar work in the stop-motion animation genre. While Harryhausen affectionately names the various artists whose work inspired him, other, younger artists call him their inspiration, with an equal amount of affection. Thus does creative inspiration wind its way through the generations...
Richly illustrated with clips, excerpts, diagrams and the like, the documentary provides a fine overview of Harryhausen's work. The viewer gets a chance to hear him talk about the thought processes and techniques behind some of his most iconic creations, such as the cruel-faced, slithering Medusa from "Clash of the Titans". On the other hand we learn relatively little about him as a person ; every now and then the documentary touches lightly upon aspects such as his army career or his supportive parents, but that's it. But then there is nothing wrong with guarding one's privacy...
Much recommended to animation, science fiction or fantasy fans ; also much recommended to lovers of special effects disciplines both traditional and modern.
