JumpCutz

Interesting piece from Popular Mechanics:


Today, many digital effects are so subtle that movie audiences often don't notice them — but it wasn't always so. We asked industry insiders to pinpoint the biggest breakthroughs in digital F/X history.


http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...ffects/4206967

PopcornTreeCt

I always thought that Star Wars scene was pretty damn good.

Blu Man

No AVATAR? It pretty much topped everything...

PopcornTreeCt

Avatar's special effects are hyped like Lebron James...

islandclaws

No love for The Thing? Fail.

Groucho

The Thing had digital effects?

Blu Man

Yes, they were. But that doesn't negate the fact that they were incredible. The water, dirt, sticks, faces, movements, all were great, albeit over hyped by Cameron and his fanboys.

edstein

The Last Starfighter was a major break though in CGI.

Young Sherlock Holmes was the first movie to have a fully CGI character, a knight created from stained glass. Fun fact, this character was created be John Lasseter of Pixar fame.

AnonomusBob15

lame list. Might as well have called it "Ten Films that Helped Change the Way Movies Use F/X"

Hellboy 2, the Golden Army. Amazing F/X work. Personal favorite.

cleaver

Casper and Dragonheart were breakthroughs in CGI characters

Mountain Biker

Um, Blade Runner? I'm amazed how incredible it still looks.

FRwL

If that's the best of digital fx then digital really sucks. Physical/optical ftw.

Solid Snake

Agreed. I love GREAT physical in-camera FX. I don't mind CGI but it better be done amazingly well or not all in most cases. T2 to me is a film that merged those 2 sooooo fucking well it's ridiculous. To this day I'm still amazed by it.

Groucho

Blade Runner had digital effects?

JumpCutz

Where the hell is 'A Trip to the Moon' ??

majorjoe23

What, no Metropolis?

I'm just trying to piss Groucho off.

Michael Corvin

One such effect for me was early on in Contact. I believe after young Ellie's dad dies there's a shot of a bathroom cabinet mirror closing with her reflection in it. I was surprised to find out it was done digitally because they couldn't get the right camera angle.

Trevor

^ Great, now I don't need to watch Contact.....

Troy Stiffler

It's not a 'best ever' list. It's a 'biggest breakthrough' list.

AnonomusBob15

in all fairness, it's the opening scene I believe. So you could still watch Contact, or you can wait another 13 years and you'll probably forget his post by then.

Michael Corvin

Trevor

Look at your post title.

devilshalo

They exclude The Abyss and include Terminator 2? Is that like the whole chicken before the egg argument? Because without the water weenie from The Abyss, there would be no T-1000.

Surprised that Willow didn't make the list.

devilshalo

That is not the opening scene.

Giles

personally I found the ship rollover in The Poseidon Adventure to be pretty kick ass.