Well it seems Alfred Hitchcock won out in a squeaker against Stanely Kubrick in last week’s poll for the most deserving Oscarless director. After a heated 16-way competition, it seemed obvious these two would stand out from the fray, and in the end we shouldn’t be too surprised that the master of suspense was the readers’ favorite.
I’ll say only this, to echo the words of a colleague recently: Kubrick never made a meaningless movie, where as Hitcock made several. Just to play devil’s advocate.
As for the new poll, I’m learning of Stan Winston’s passing this morning from my own Web site of all places (that’s a first — thanks to Brian). It’s completely surprising, I have to say, and has me thinking back to his greatest work over the years. So I’ll put it to the readers: What film boasted Winston’s greatest work as an effects wizard? Tell us in the poll.
Comments
4 responses to “Hitch reigns”
I voted for Jurassic Park (the sure winner, for obvious reasons). I’m still unsure we’ve seen a better CG-puppetry-costume integration.
A.I. is my second choice, but really, so many of these films are so very special.
Predator represents the most creative work of the bunch by a longshot, hence my solitary vote. JP was more a Murren achievement than a Winston achievement, I’d say.
“A.I.” for me. Magnificent film, slightly over “Jurassic Park” (the greatest dinosaur movie, period) and “Terminator” (though I liked the second better.
Hard list to choose from. All the films (except “The Island of Dr. Moreau” and “The Thing”, which I didn’t see) are good movies. I didn’t know that Stan Winston did all of these (most of them, I knew he did, of course, just some of them I had no idea).
But, yes, for me, his best work was “A.I.”
Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
It’s one thing to put fancy makeup on an actor’s skin, but to make it appear as though the actor’s skin is peeling off to reveal a metallic skeleton beneath was a remarkable and unique achievement.