The force is strong as Star Wars tops SFX Special FX chart
9th January 2005
Traditional methods top movie fan’s poll as CG effects are left out in the cold
Movie fans from across the UK have voted the opening moments of Star Wars as the best film special effect of all time, shunning the modern reliance on computer generated (CG) effects.
Topping a poll conducted by SFX magazine, the first scenes from George Lucas’ 1977 are stencilled on the minds of film buffs as their favourite special effect. The opening moments of the film see a spacecraft flying across the screen, only to be dwarfed moments later by the colossal imperial cruiser, captained by the evil Darth Vader.
Thousands of film fans voted for the poll, entering their nominations online, by post and email. The full top 50 rundown of special effects includes sequences from films spanning over 100 years, from 1902’s Le Voyage Dans La Lune through to last summer’s Spiderman 2 (2004).
In the top 10, just four sequences have been created using CG techniques – including the metallic cyborg T-1000 from Terminator 2 (1991) and the cave-dwelling Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 – 2003), with film fans choosing to vote for films with more traditional special effects, created optically, with miniature models, animation and rubber prosthetics.
Moments using traditional techniques in the top 10 include the terrifying “chestburster” scene from Alien (1979), the hoard of skeleton soldiers in the Ray Harryhausen classic, Jason and The Argonauts (1963) and the last stand of the gigantic ape, King Kong (1935), which came second in the poll.
SFX Top 10 special FX ever
10 Spider-Man 2 (2004) – Train fight
9 Alien (1979) – Chestburster
8 The Matrix (1999) – Bullet time
7 The Lord of The Rings trilogy (2001 – 2003) – Gollum
6 Forbidden Planet (1956) – Krell Machinery
5 Terminator 2 (1991) – The T-1000
4 Jason And The Argonauts (1963) – The Skeletons
3 The Thing (1982) – Spider head
2 King Kong (1933) – Climax
1 Star Wars (1977) – The Opening shot
Dave Golder is Editor of SFX magazine:
“Star Wars winning the best special effects sequence ever shows just how significant the film is to movie fans. Even now, nothing beats the feeling you get when you see these huge flying spaceships coming across the screen – which are breathtakingly enormous. It was the Big Bang of modern special effects, redefining the way space ships should look on the big screen
“I’m not at all surprised that film fans are rejecting the modern reliance on CG for special effects. Film fans aren’t against progress and there are many occasions in films like Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings where CG really gives a new dimension you just couldn't bring with traditional methods. On the other hand there is nothing as satisfying in seeing a film, with a massive special effects bill like the recent Van Helsing being thrashed by a
70 year old stuffed gorilla made from wire frame and coated with the fur
of an unlucky rabbit!
The full rundown of the Top 50 special effects of all time can be found in the February issue of Future Publishing’s SFX magazine, on sale January 19th 2005.
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