Solium wrote:The only effect in the opening of SUPERMAN (1978) I didn't like was when they obviously photographed a sparkler.
Visual effects, whether computer generated or some other technique, is hit-or-miss like any other art. The VFX team for George Pal's 1953 THE WAR OF THE WORLDS used a metal grinder to produce the spitting heat ray, which I thought looked fantastic. The animated, green blobs from the secondary guns were less compelling. True brilliance was the sound effect for the heat ray: the starting motor from a truck.
The real fault with the SUPERMAN "sparkler" was that it was so easily recognizable as a sparkler. There were many other pyrotechnic effects that passed muster, and even some non-descript shapes most likely executed in the same fashion as the light show at the end of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. (The 2001 light show was slit-scanned art, chemical "lava lamp" effects, and even underwater footage all posterized, pushed for high contrast and back-lit in various ways.)
Agreed its how you use the effect. They should have blurred it, flip it, something. Also I believe it even had a sparkler sound effect.
Sound effects go a long way too. It's another lost art. The most exciting thing about the new Star Wars movie is hearing the old sound effects.
And yes, the sound effects in WOTW were awesome. Lets not forget the creepy sound when the cobra head makes it's first appearance.
Solium wrote:The most exciting thing about the new Star Wars movie is hearing the old sound effects.
And at least one "Wilhelm"! Ben Burtt has made it a trademark to insert one in every movie. https://youtu.be/_PxALy22utc
In a similar vein, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199, a remake of the popular '70s series, uses much of the same music (re-performed) and I think sound effects as the original. That must have let the air out of the market for LPs of the original score.
That's fascinating! Never heard of the Wilhelm scream before. My guess it's used in Star Wars when one of the stormtroopers fell to their death in the Deathstar chasm. And in Jedi during the sail barge fight sequence when someone falls into the sand pit. Not sure where it was used in Empire- probably somewhere during the battle of Endor?
Just saw the first official trailer for Independence Day 2. There were some cool shots but lots and lots of horrible looking CGI. The model work and optical effects in the first film were spectacular.
Not sure where it was used in Empire- probably somewhere during the battle of Endor?
Don't you mean Hoth?
I think the Wilhelm pops up when Chewie flips out and throws one of the stormtroopers off the carbon freeze platform after Vader tells his men to put Han into the chamber. (It's quiet in the mix, but I'm pretty sure it's there.)
Not sure where it was used in Empire- probably somewhere during the battle of Endor?
Don't you mean Hoth?
I think the Wilhelm pops up when Chewie flips out and throws one of the stormtroopers off the carbon freeze platform after Vader tells his men to put Han into the chamber. (It's quiet in the mix, but I'm pretty sure it's there.)
Huh, yeah brain fart on my part. Carbon freeze chamber scene sounds about right.
They have really got it to the point where animals in motion- even slo-mo- now look realistic. This was the last barrier to realistic cgi (not includig cgi humans).
Plus check out the scene where Indominus puts his claw through the roof of the glass sphere-mobile.
Why did they bother putting actors in harnesses and flinging them around for the flying dino sequence in JURASSIC WORLD? I just assumed it was all CGI and yawned.
Last weekend I saw DeMille's 1956 epic The 10 Commandments on a theater screen. It was a pleasure seeing a real cast of 1000's on the VistaVision screen. No CGI, just people!
I watched Invasion USA the other day and a lot of it looks much better than modern action films due to the practical stunts, real explosions, muzzle flash, blood squibs and it's bonkers climax of having access to about 7 tanks somehow. In my head I kep thinking what shots would be cgi these days, and it was a lot.
Why did they bother putting actors in harnesses and flinging them around for the flying dino sequence in JURASSIC WORLD? I just assumed it was all CGI and yawned.
Movies are an illusion of life. Before CGI we might question the validity of a shot, but got past that and suspended our disbelief. With the over use of CGI we just assume everything is done with CGI. So when we see a practical effect we think CGI, which kills suspension of disbelief. Our minds already decided its not real. I think this comes full circle with your original post.
Walking with Dinosaurs did it better 15 years ago. 
