If you’re a fan of the movies, in particular movies with special/visual effects that feature stop-motion animation, the name Ray Harryhausen will certainly be familiar. As a kid I was utterly fascinated by the fantasy and mythical creatures that the stop-motion maestro bought to life with his stunning stop-motion animation, and my favorite was the epic Clash Of The Titans (1981); the title of the book also alludes to this iconic film.

Special-effects superstar Ray Harryhausen elevated stop-motion animation to an art during the 1950s to 1980s. With material drawn from his incredible archive, his daughter, Vanessa, selects 100 creatures and objects, in chronological order, that meant the most to her as she watched her father make world-famous films that changed the course of cinema.

Ray Harryhausen’s work included the Sinbad films of the 50s and 70s, One Million Years B.C. and Mighty Joe Young, as well as a wider portfolio including children’s fairy tales and commercials. He inspired a generation of film-makers such as Peter Jackson, Aardman Animation, Tim Burton, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and his influence on blockbuster cinema can be felt to this day. Some of the objects featured in the book, such as Talos from Jason and the Argonauts, are world famous, while others are less well known but hold special personal significance to Vanessa. Many newly restored works that have never previously been seen are included.

Released in late 2020, this book is published in collaboration with the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation. It celebrates the legacy of a filmmaker who changed the face of modern cinema and it is certain to delight and fascinate those who appreciate film, art, science fiction and fantasy.

This is the perfect retrospective book to celebrate Ray Harryhausen’s splendid body of stop-motion work, with the full 200 pages filled with resplendent, high quality images of his monster/creature props as well as the concept art work and drawings, the latter which are less commonly seen. My only regret is that this book ( to the best of my knowledge ) isn’t made available in hardcover format, which would likely extend its shelf-life. That said, this book still comes highly recommended.

“Ray Harryhausen – Titan Of Cinema” details :

– Dimensions – 9.68 x 0.8 x 10.53 inches
– Hardcover, 208 pages
– Full color

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